Faith That’s Not Fake

Recently, I attended the Florida Blog Convention in Orlando with my friend and fellow writer Ashley Jones. We figured we might be the only Christian bloggers there but wanted to go and learn what we could. Turns out, there was only one other “faith” blogger in attendance, but everyone we met was friendly and welcoming to us.

We befriended one blogger who seemed confused by what we write. Finally, she asked, “What is a fake blogger?”

Ashley and I stared at each other. Fake?

“Oh, faith-not fake,” we hurried to explain.

She smiled. “Yeah, I was kind of wondering what a fake blogger would write about.”

Truth be told, however, some people are just as uncertain what faith bloggers share. Mainstream blogging is all about monetization and numbers. While some Christian bloggers also make their livelihood from writing and most certainly want to be successful in reaching their audiences, the difference is their motivation. We write because God’s called us to write and to be light.

Our new friend’s words made me pause and question: Do people see our faith as fake? “Authentic” is a buzz word in blogging, and we Christians of all people should strive for transparency. We can’t present ourselves as happily settled on an unreachable pedestal.

Instead, we need to be real, honest, and also loving toward those who might be genuinely searching for God. No one can relate to someone who presents himself as “perfect,” and yet how often do we want people to think we are?

Of all the ideas I took away from the convention, this one conversation sticks out to me the most. Though the blogger simply misheard what Ashley and I said, she could have easily misunderstood the meaning of our faith if we hadn’t shared it sincerely with her.

How can you authentically share your faith instead of putting on a “spiritual” front? What does that transparency look like in your day-to-day life?

~ Kristen

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Does your faith look fake? – @kjhogrefe (Click to Tweet)