Something exciting happened this week.
I’m on a podcast! My friend Janell Wood interviewed me back in September about my experience with depression, and “my” episode of the Finding Something Real podcast went live on Wednesday.
My first thought was to share it everywhere, but then my brain started to protest.
You can’t do that! That’s self-promoting! Christians are supposed to be humble and that’s definitely not humble to tell everyone you’re on a podcast.
Thankfully, I decided to catch those thoughts and take a closer look at them. Is it bad to tell others about something that could be helpful? Is it prideful to share a resource that could encourage or inspire lots of people?
I did a quick Google search about self-promotion and found an interview from 2008 with John Piper: What Is the Difference Between Good and Bad Self-Promotion?
In it, he asks: Is it right for a Christian to want to be influential?
His answer: If what is influencing people is the truth, the beauty of Christ, the glory of God—”Yes, it’s right and good.”
How reassuring!
When we create something—an article, a work of art, a book, a song, a poem—we can share it with confidence if it’s true and if our desire is to glorify God (not ourselves).
People will get turned off pretty quickly if they see us saying, “Look at me! Look at me! Look at me!” But they’ll appreciate what we’re sharing when we say, “Look at what God has done for me! I want to tell you about this so God can work in your life, too!”
Matthew 6:1 warns: “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.”
That’s bad self-promotion, but we can confidently practice good self-promotion because we know people will see God in the things we share.
As for me, God brought me through a terrible time of depression. If my story can help others, I’ll gladly risk being misunderstood as I do a bit of self-promotion. (And if you think it might help someone you know, please consider telling them about the podcast or this blog. Thanks!)
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV)
Does self-promotion make you uncomfortable? How can focusing on God help you to confidently share things that will help others?
I’ve been surprised at the compelling connections God has done just because I shared something. Most of mine are not overtly Christian, but I pray about their reach because it’s what he’s led me to write. It certainly has given me a way to connect deeper with non-believers because of who he’s drawn to the stories. Still amazed and humbled.
Yes, Joy, it’s really awesome to see how God works to connect us with just the right person at just the right time. Keep writing and sharing! ~Robyn