One Reason I’m Not a Huge Fan of Watchblogging

If you are blogging about your totally rad waterproof Swiss Army watch please take no offense at this post.  I’m not against people that spend their time blogging about watches, although I may question your sanity.  The “watchblogging” that I am referring to is the “discernment ministries”.  These are blogs that focus on sharing the bad news within Christianity.  According to many of these sights their intention is to inform believers, keep them from danger, encourage them to pray, etc., etc. 

I do believe there is some good that does come from these “discernment” ministries.  I personally know of people that were delivered out of really unhealthy teaching simply because they stumbled upon something questioning the beliefs of one of their favorite teachers.  Often those caught within the web of false teachers are there simply because it sounds “gospely” and they’ve never even thought to question it.  For such people it can be good to become aware that there is an alternative view. 

Yet, for all of its worth I avoid watchblogging and discernment ministries and encourage others to do the same.  Here is one of the bigger reasons why:

A man of crooked heart does not discover good. Proverbs 17:20

I have a bent towards negativity as it is.  Following watchblogs does something to my soul that is not helpful.  They tend to focus on the negative at the expense of that which is good.  Proverbs 17:20 seems to be saying that good is something that needs to be sought out and discovered. 

It doesn’t take really sharp wit and investigative reporting to discover all that is jacked up in our world (and sadly even the problems that are present within the church).  You don’t need to bust out your Sherlock Holmes magnifying glass to discover the bad.  But the bent of those of a crooked heart is to see that which is right before our face; namely, the ugliness of evil and suffering.  It takes the magnifying glasses of faith and hope to discover good in the midst of turmoil. 

Therefore, watchblogs do very little to strengthen my soul.  They excel at pointing out error but in my experience it does nothing to make my heart leap for joy.  This is why even though I will at times write articles that might fall in the category of discernment ministries, for the most part I want to revel in that which is good, true, and praiseworthy and give less of an audience to that which is detestable. 

Today in Blogworld 12/13

One of my first stops is usually Challies. Yesterday he posted a very interesting article on The Death of Shame. "Aileen and I have continually returned to the question of why so many young people these days seem unwilling or unable to grow up. It is a question that has confused us, especially as we look to many of the young people we know. There was a time when young people seemed eager to grow up, to mature, and to head out into the world to make their mark on it. Or that is how we remember it (we were, after all, married at 21 and parents by 23). But those people now seem to be the exception more than the rule. More and more, it seems, young people (and increasingly older young people) are choosing to stay home, to stay in colleges, to earn a second or third or fourth degree. They are, it seems, refusing to grow up." To find out his conclusion continue reading.

A few days ago I mentioned my confusion about a recent post by Mark Dever. Perhaps Jonathan Leeman has provided an answer. See it here.

Jim at Old Truth has found himself in the midst of a discussion ("argument") over whether or not we should question professions of faith. This morning he pulled the Mark Dever card. "Sometimes I get the feeling that people think there's something wrong with questioning the reality of a profession of faith. It's legalistic, or judging, or holier than thou. Or something. But if evangelists want to see lost sinners saved, and if evangelists know that we sinners can deceive ourselves, then it's not surprising that we want to try to make sure (with all appropriate qualifications about our limitedness) that conversions professed are conversions possessed. Or is it just sour-faced theologians who think about such things? Are preachers who think about such things unevangelistic?" Continue reading for the answer.