Blogs. It’s awesome to get likes for each post, right? A new follower? Glorifying God is the intention of my blog at least. I prefer to post as the Holy Spirit leads and not just following the WordPress guideline of at least two a week. Yet God taught me a thing or two.
I was praying, prostrate, very intensely one night for something. In the middle of it, God interrupted and went off the topic completely (I love how He does that!) and said in no uncertain terms,
“Your love of receiving likes on your blog is seeking the approval of man. It is adultery to Me.”
I lay there with my mouth wide open for a good few minutes. I was shocked so all I could muster was “Okay, Lord…”
I repented but had to really sit and dwell on it for a while. I never saw it like that, I just found it all fun! Adultery? Wow! Did I hear incorrectly?
The more I got to think of it, the more I saw He was right (duh!). As I said above I post as the Holy Spirit leads – it’s all His doing, not mine. Everything I experience is because of Him, nothing that has ever happened to me is of my own doing. So why do I care how many likes each post gets? He gets the glory with a post that will resonate with someone else. That’s the point. This is His voice through my blog, I need to ensure He is happy with what I post. And that’s enough!
The term adultery is not just used to refer to sexual relations outside of marriage but also to Israel turning away from God to serve idols:
“Then I saw that for all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce… through her casual harlotry, she defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and wood” Jer 3:8-9
The word adultery in Exodus 20:14 is the root word na’aph which means to commit adultery or idolatrous worship. Focusing on the world and not God makes us a “wicked and adulterous generation”! (Matt 16:4). “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God?” (James 4:4)
Adultery breaks a covenant, and is brought about by various attitudes, such as in my case here. The root word for adultery in Matthew 5 is ‘moichos’ and means adulterer, or metaphorically, a person who is faithless toward God or is ungodly.
I was going to remove the “like” plugin altogether, but the more I meditated on this, I came to realise it is an issue of my heart I have to correct first. Removing it would not help the issue at hand. So, He teaches me that with every post, if I only get one like, that is perfect; I can be at peace that He is happy with what I’ve put up.
(P.S. – I’m sure He won’t mind you liking this post, I have to practice! *wink wink* 😉 )
kingintraining 
Good Word! It’s another tactic the enemy uses to distract us from focusing on God and kingdom work. I too struggle in this area but I thank God for the victory. I’m going to stand arm in arm with you as we take authority of counting the people (likes) in the name of Jesus. Keep writing for Jesus!
P.S. I don’t think God minds us encouraging one another, it’s just our looking forward to the approval of man rather than Him. So I wink back and want to encourage you by saying GREAT POST!!! 🙂
Haha thank you, He will be right there in the midst of us 😀
I’ve been guilty of this. Good and timely word.
Thanks Tony. You dont even need any likes – your blog is awesome on its own! 😀
I just post dreams and visions that the Lord gives me so I can’t take credit for anything. But I can identify with liking the “likes”
Thank you! I don’t think people realize how seriously Jesus takes these issues.Just recently I was slammed on BTR by a host for speaking out against a teaching that follows the doctrines of man and NOT what the Bible says. They love to call you legalistic…but they had better be prepared to call Jesus that as well then, because He did not come to do away with the law but to uphold it. Amongst other things, I was called prideful. However, I have prayed on this since and received confirmation that I was correct. I don’t think we are to silently sit by any longer but to actively fight the darkness coming from within ourselves and from all around us as well. God bless you sister!
Yes – mans favourite words when they don’t get their own way: legalistic and prideful! If there is a heart issue, God will alert us. It’s not legalistic, its what relationship is all about. Carry on the good fight sista 😀
Exactly…relationship! Again I say thank you! Keep those words of wisdom coming!
A lesson for ALL of us! 🙂
🙂
So very true! There are times that I find myself obsessed with stats for a couple of days or two – but then something happens and it hits me and I’m reminded that that is not the reason why I blog and then I can relax and take the focus off of me and back where it belongs!
It is amazing how easy it is to get caught up in and not recognize that our focus has shifted, it’s good to be there for each other and encourage each other and provide reminders, like your post today, that there is a Higher Power at work!
Yes, SO caught up! Here I thought it was benign fun, but little did I know. But like Journey Bits said above, its good to encourage each other, as long as it doesn’t become a heart issue
Praise the Lord! I didn’t like this post–I loved this post. Spiritual adultery is much worse than physical or fleshly adultery. The world system is full of adultery/idolatry. We need to put God first in our lives; we need to please Him and not the world system.
Thanks Tim! 😀 It all creeps up on us so sneakily; best to stay grounded in His Word
Funny, I was in prayer about this yesterday too. I am glad God gave you an answer that answers mine 😉
A blogger from India reminded me once about the impact our posts make to the ‘silent’ readers. I thought that was awesome. But the ‘adultery’ thing is awesome too….after all He is a Jealous God!
Thanks for your transparency 😉
Blessings my sister
JC
I often wonder about the silent readers too! I’m glad His answer came at the right time for you! 🙂 Praise the Lord! Thank you for your comment xx
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not only adultry but it becomes and idol, something that we place above God. been there and done that. it is a tough battle!
Very much so! Thanks Doc 🙂
I will not like but I will say this to you. Sometimes when the “ouchy” things of God are spoken it is always because our heart in someway is not right. I have in the last month had 3 very hard ouches of my own so I completely understand. When God told me that the 1 ice cream cone I enjoyed a week was an idol it was like really God (I mean I thought well, I have given up buying the stuff for the house so I enjoy 1 a week at the local McDonalds and now He says it is an idol). Truth is I am addicted to ice cream and it does become an idol because while I will save my pennies for an ice cream I would not do the same for Him. That made it an idol and now, I am giving towards my church’s goal of a prayer garden. It is wild what we use as idols. I give you congrats for recognizing this early in your walk with the Lord. Good luck in your continued walk with the Lord. He is mighty. All things that He brings to our attention are because it becomes a heart issue! Thanks for the courage!
Wow your story is an eye opener! It makes me think of how much I adore coffee *yikes* thank you very much for your input!
“Casual” adultery… reminds me when I was instructed by the Lord to stop making “cute” and flippant remarks that entertain people just a little or lighten a serious issue just a little. It was my habit of a lifetime that is gone. Although I fought it at first, I am now so grateful the Lord removed this from me. I cringe when I hear “casual”, cute and flippant remarks.
Hi jefletch, thanks for the comment. Very interesting. Can I ask what sort of casual or flippant remarks as an example?
I hear ya. The interesting thing is–at least in my experience–that when a post convicts someone, or challenges them, they might not click, “like.” Perhaps the like buttons aren’t the best indication of how far reaching, or life changing your post may be! This is a good reminder to submit ourselves and our blogs to God to use as He will. Thanks so much!
That’s actually a very good point! I’ve never thought of it that way before
Wow this post and all the comments are awesome. I almost wrote a similar post this week, but you had the courage to do it. It looks like God is speaking to a lot of us bloggers.
Isn’t that great-2 other bloggers today also wrote on adultery/idolatry! He speaks! 😀 I’d be interested to see your post should you decide to write it 🙂
You popped by my blog and like something I wrote so I came to check out your blog and the first thing I see is this post. My friends and I like calling this the ‘thwacking’ phenomenon, that is, getting major conviction. Giving my thoughts would be merely repeating what other blogger/readers have said.
Good bless your soul! And surely, you are very used by God. In a good way of course! Cheers!
Hi Maureen! hehe I like that thwacking term – definitely sounds like a moment of conviction! Thank you for your kind encouragement 🙂
I really needed to hear this post! Satan has been trying to discourage me and get me to remove some posts, because they did not have as many ‘likes’ as some of the other posts the Lord has had me do. But when I went to the Lord to make sure that He really wanted me to remove them, He would tell me to keep them there. He asked me, “Who would benefit the most from having them removed?” Reading this post of yours was like a zap of lightening confirmation for me. I especially appreciated the comment made by ‘Bring Bread’; that those posts that might convict, may not be ‘liked’, but they are still doing the work of our God. And I am beginning to realize, that there are many out there who simply read the posts, but do not have the avatar (or whatever) to respond. It was nice to be reminded, that the ‘likes’ is not why we blog; doing the Will of Christ, IS!
Hugs and blessings to you dear sister,
C. Dunamis
I LOVE the question He posed to you “Who would benefit the most from having them removed?” Very sobering thought. I’m glad God assisted you today 🙂
Our sick hearts chase likes, comments, stats, awards, hits, followers, thumbs up, not to mention the friends and twitter buddies … and the Lord is so clear that He loves us in Christ … something eternally so much more valuable than anything we can receive from the world. Thank you for reminding us … I am so grateful that He completely knows us and still loves us in Christ 🙂
And He is such a beautiful gift…yet we chase after very odd things. Strange bunch us humans are 😀
As I was reading through that comments I was awestruck at how many of us are receiving the same conviction. This is not an attempt to drive traffic to my blog but if you’re interested in a similar correction that I received check out my post “what’s my motivation?”
Excellent post! The Stats page is very intriguing I must admit, but helpful as well. As most of my Readers are from the beloved States, I try post according to their time zone. Which I wouldn’t have thought of without a Stats page 😀 But yes, I enjoyed your post, some great points; and will check out more of your blog! Thanks for stopping by Victory 🙂
King in Training, God will not mind if you write a post in which He gets the glory and other brethren will be edified by it! So let the likes roll! 🙂 Like it was said, it is in the heart 🙂
BTW, your posts are engaging and you will get lots of likes if you extend your blogging network with other bloggers. Just a warning. 🙂
Haha very ‘grave’ warning indeed! 😀 Thanks very much for the encouragement Delight xx
This is one of my favorite posts on WP to date. Loved it. LOVE LOVE LOVE!! Thank you for the perspective, Dear Friend!
Thanks Skye! I was worried it might bring unfavourable responses like “well just cuz that’s your problem doesn’t mean it ours!” Haha
lol. I worry about that every single time I press “Publish”.
Heah! I started a new blog and have had hardly any ‘Likes’ on it. I feel like I’m just writing to myself, but I need to remember this post. It is God that I’m writing to, not myself. I need to remember that He is reading everything I write – and that’s what’s most important.
That’s the pain with new blogs right! He who has called you is faithful. This is how Christians are different from the world-even if we only help one person it makes a difference for eternity. Which is your new blog?
Just click on my name (Anonymous) and you’ll go to it if you like.
Okie dokes 🙂
I love it!! God deals with us in so many different ways,and it’s a wonderful thing to obey,I’m glad you are doing that. Good word,good word!!
Love you 🙂
It most definitely is a wonderful thing to obey 😀 Thank you Pat for such kind words xx
Thank you for your honesty! I have to guard my heart against this as well. “Don’t become obsessed with whether or not a lot of people like your posts. Let your pleasure come from doing My will not receiving applause from men.” Amen and amen! On another note, I have nominated Kingintraining for the Sunshine Award. *ah-hummm* Speaking of applause…haha. Sorry, I just noticed the irony. The Sunshine Award is awarded to bloggers whose writings “light up the dark corners of our minds”, I thought of you! You can find the details for receiving this award by following this link: http://createdbythepotter.wordpress.com/2013/10/18/sunshine-award/
Blessings in Christ!
Thank you so very much, that is an awesome encouragement. I’m unfortunately not accepting awards anymore 😦 but it is still a blessing coming from you! Thank you xxx 😀
That is such a great insight. Some people “Like” everything without even reading the post. That is an opposite problem. We may be liking a sinful notion.
I also post what God gives me to write whether it suits the masses or not. I love people, but the Bible says to love means we do not leave people in darkness when we have the light. I have found that we first must wait on the Holy Spirit conviction to speak with someone person to person or the truth we offer will be like casting pearls before swine.
It is in us to witness our deep love of Jesus, but just as with Paul, we may want to go one direction and God may send us another direction.
As you say, we are not in a popularity race to be liked by everyone.
Yes that’s a good point. I’ve never understood why people like a post without reading it, very strange. Sometimes I see on my email notifications that 5 posts have been liked within a few seconds apart. Super talented speed readers we have! LOL. You make a good point about liking a sinful notion. Thank you for your input 🙂
This was a good and interesting post. I kind of view “likes” sometimes as “pat on the backs” — an easy way to give encouragement or if a particular post was especially meaningful. It’s also a way to introduce yourself to others in the WP world. Sure, we all have to be careful of pride. But, blogging is an expression of who we are — and for those who trust in Christ — an extension of who we are in Christ. And, ultimately, we blog for Christ, don’t we? I “like” that.
You’re right 🙂 There is nothing wrong with likes at all, that wasn’t what I was trying to say; and I will continue to like others posts. That is what I tried to express in the post – I blog for God’s glory, but nothing should come before Him and obviously that is what He brought to my attention when I was not realising it
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1)
I don’t believe you are the first or the last person to fall into the trap of ministry or blogging becoming an idol. I know the Lord has grace and forgiveness for His children that don’t follow Him perfectly.
I love the title you chose for this blogpost!
haha I couldn’t think of a more appropriate title
I deal with this same issue. You are so right. Lord, forgive me. I can agree to this 150%, thank you for sharing, and listening for him. Love you sweetheart
Love back to you Marty, thank you xx
Such transparency. I am reminded when our Lord told me “You stink!” what! He went on to chastise me like a Dad, but, when He was done…WOW!