Pageviews, Likes, and Other Demons

When I scroll through my instagram account, there is only one thing I look at: the likes. That is how I judge how successful my post was. Did 20 people like it? 50? 100? I don’t stop and consider how much I like it or how much time and effort went into that page. I get so caught up in the likes, followers, and my posting schedule that I forget why I started the whole thing. It was designed to share my love for the Lord with everyone and to get creative while doing it.

When I open my blogger site, I go straight to the Stats page and look at how many pageviews I got that day, how much my all time views have increased, and what drew that traffic to my blog. I don’t think about the content of the post, I only concern myself with networking and how many people see it. I write meaningful posts, posts that matter to me. But once they are out there, I don’t care who sees them, only that they are seen.

How can we escape this cycle? How can we get out of the idea that our worth is defined by likes, plus ones, pins, reblogs, retweets, and views? The solution is to find your worth in Jesus. So what only 20 people liked that post you took days to work on? If you are working out of desire to please the Lord, then the reaction of humans should be inconsequential. While this is easier said than done, the only true way to escape the cycle is to evaluate your why. Ask yourself why you have a blog or an instagram account. Is it to get attention or money? Or is it to bring glory to the Lord? I have this blog because I love Jesus and I want to have a place to share my thoughts about my faith. If that is my motive, why do I get so bummed out when I don’t get a hundred people to see it? If even one person sees it and it allows them to draw closer to Jesus, then have I not done what I set out to do?

Ultimately, this is just a change of perspective. Don’t go and delete your blog because you have your priorities mixed up, simply realign them with the God who has the best plan for you! When you focus on the Lord, the jumble of human thinking falls aside and your only desire becomes to bring his praise with all you say and do!