The public diaries of a child of God
How God uses his children to impact lives around the world—one blog or vlog post at a time
There is absolutely no doubt about it—the world seems to be increasingly interested in what everybody else is doing! And with technology on the rise, it’s easier than ever for us to inform each other of our daily comings and goings. Posts from all corners of the globe flood websites and social media platforms daily, creating a whirlpool of different ideas, stories, and opinions. With so many different avenues before us, what can a child of God who wants to share the gospel possibly do to make his or her voice effectively heard amid the millions of others?
Vlogs and blogs
Two popular methods of sharing our lives through technology are blogs or vlogs. The blog (short for weblog) and the vlog (short for video log) basically serve the same purpose: think of them both as public diary entries that can be published online to inspire other people. Blogs are written content, often including photos; and vlogs are videos.
There are various platforms available to create content for your online presence. You can post on Ameba (ameblo.jp—a Japanese website/platform specifically created for people to start blogs) or upload to YouTube (the well-known online space for sharing video content). Or you can go all-out and create your own website with quality tools such as Wix (my top choice for creating a professional-looking website). You could even raise the bar and challenge yourself by trying all three!
No matter which platform you choose, as long as you have a few simple tools, such as an appropriate camera and editing software, your impact can go a long way. Of course good writing or speaking ability, a little confidence, and trust in God helps too.
Now, there are a variety of subjects and genres you can use as the central theme of your blog or vlog. How-to, self-care, business, crafting, opinion—you name it, they have it somewhere in cyberspace!
However, if reaching the Japanese is your main goal, a simple lifestyle blog could be the most effective. Lifestyle blogs and vlogs are actually among the most popular types of content. Japanese people appear to have a great interest in the culture of foreigners. They love to learn about the everyday life of someone of another nationality, so a simple blog or vlog about the daily blessings and adventures of a Christian could prove to be effective.
Once you launch your blog or vlog, social media can also be a great tool to help get your presence out there. Two platforms I would recommend considering are Instagram and Pinterest, but there are many others that you can experiment with and see which one works the best for you.
Being God’s light from where we are
Jesus, in Matthew chapter five, taught that we are to be as a light to a world of darkness by showing his presence in every aspect of our lives. In this way, no matter what we do—if we stay focused on Christ—those who do not yet know him will be able to see a marked difference in us and the way we live. With so many marvelous platforms available, no matter where we are in the world, we can still be a witness and example of God’s love to someone on the other side of the earth without ever having to leave our homes!
Nowadays, with the craziness of COVID-19 restrictions, it’s very uncertain when new missionaries will be able to travel to Japan to tell the people about Jesus in person. Those of us in that position are all stuck in our own little cages like birds waiting to be released. And while it can be frustrating, God can use technology to reach more Japanese than one could ever do in person. For example, technology can reach those who shut themselves into their homes without work or school and withdraw from society (hikikomori).
A simple story of God’s goodness in even our ordinary days can be very effective to inspire and encourage these dear people who so need to experience his grace and love. The wonders of technology could very well be the help God has given us to carry it out!
May our Lord bless you in all your endeavors to feed the gospel of Jesus to the spiritually starving nation of Japan.