Encouraging with Twitter

I have published 642 updates on Twitter now, and wanted to share a few thoughts about this microblogging phenomenon.

Packing your statement or question into 140 characters is a craft. Reminds me of the joy and effort of writing poetry. (I did that seriously in college, even edited a literary review.)

Twitter has connected me to people whom I otherwise doubt I would have encountered, in many countries. Almost every day I'm reminded that God is working in the lives of all kinds of people, in all kinds of places -- He's much bigger than my provincial thinking.

You can use Twitter to the glory of God. You can write tweets (that's what individual posts are called) that speak to people about His power and majesty and faithfulness. You can remind people of truth from Scripture. It's a powerful tool for encouragement! Unexpected side-benefit: you'll be cheered and encouraged, too.

Like other publishing tools, Twitter can amplify your pride, your discouragement, your strengths, your weaknesses. And it can amplify the value or the waste of your time.

I haven't been comfortable putting enough information in tweets that would let people with poor intentions know things about my family or schedule that would put them at risk. People write freely about their travel and kids activities and leaving their wife at home alone. Yikes!

In odd ways Twitter makes me self-conscious. I notice that I get concerned about the image I'm projecting. If I'm feeling down and discouraged, I don't tweet about it, but turn it around and focus on encouraging others. So it's good to remember that looking at others' tweets does not necessarily tell me the truth about them. In fact, I've become aware that some people run multiple Twitter accounts and express themselves through different personas. Twitter, blogs, emails -- all are limited means of expressions for relational understanding of one another.

I do plan to continue using Twitter, humbling hoping to use it always for the glory of our Lord and Master.

You can follow me at http://www.twitter.com/glenn_brooke