{"id":1352,"date":"2013-12-30T05:39:04","date_gmt":"2013-12-30T12:39:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davidrupert\/?p=1352"},"modified":"2013-12-30T05:39:04","modified_gmt":"2013-12-30T12:39:04","slug":"article-make-look-fat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davidrupert\/article-make-look-fat\/","title":{"rendered":"Does this article make me look fat?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\u201cHow do I look? \u00a0Do these pants fit right? Is this shirt tight across the back?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

There are few men who would ever want to answer questions like these. \u00a0Along with your mother\u2019s cooking, old girlfriends, and commenting on the number of shoes in a closet, no man should ever comment on a woman\u2019s weight. Even when pressed to be honest, we know it\u2019s just\u00a0a no win situation and you need to back away slowly. I mean swiftly.<\/p>\n

This dance around certain subjects is also found in this creative world. \u00a0Few people are willing to talk about pride.\u00a0Those in the arts \u2014 writers, painters, sculptors, dancers, designers, poets, singers \u2014 walk the tightrope of praise and humility. We want the applause, gravitating toward those who appreciate our talent and turning our backs on those who don\u2019t give us kudos. It\u2019s just human nature.\u00a0<\/span>The problem with pointing out pride, noticing those\u00a0specks of self-promotion in others, is that\u00a0<\/span>darn 2\u00d74<\/a>\u00a0that gets in the way.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Pride\"
Thanks to Ms. Simply Darlene for the great photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There is nothing more gratifying\u00a0than someone telling me that they have been touched, or blessed, or inspired by my written or spoken word. It keeps me going. It\u2019s the go-juice that I drink that gives me the gumption to do it again. But it\u2019s a world that is so fraught with danger, that we must guard continually against.<\/p>\n

For writers these days marketing is part of the package. \u00a0And those in music and painting and other creative expressions must also be good self marketers. Here\u2019s where it becomes awkward, especially for those of who are writing about things of the Divine. \u201cYou must build a platform\u201d they say. But whose being lifted up?<\/p>\n

There is one successful blogger \u2013 a very successful one \u2013 who writes Christian books, self-help books for other writers, and guest blogs atmany other places. his self-promotion and marketing skills are amazing. Actually they are too amazing<\/em>!<\/p>\n

For as long as I\u2019ve been doing this, you would think that I\u2019d have a\u00a0big audience, books to my name, and praises from around the globe.\u00a0However I don\u2019t, because\u00a0this article makes me look fat<\/strong>. And I\u2019m completely comfortable with where I\u2019m at in life.\u00a0I\u2019d rather be honest than popular<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

I always struggle with transparency,\u00a0trying to\u00a0root out\u00a0the superficial that clogs my brain and trips me up.\u00a0I could twist words to play on emotions, to evoke a response. I could say things that elevate my insight, my maturity and my obedience. I could pull the chair over and stand it so I\u2019d be a little taller. And maybe people would be fooled \u2014 for a while.<\/strong><\/p>\n

My ear strains to catch someone talking about me. My heart puffs when good things are said. My hidden soul is propped by the good words of strangers. But having fallen more than once, I know the pitfalls of a prideful life.<\/p>\n

And even writing about it plays on that ugly part of me.\u00a0I\u2019ve heard a voice saying exactly this, \u201cMaybe they\u2019ll think I\u2019m humble because I\u2019m talking about pride.\u201d<\/em> Sheesh. What a mess!<\/p>\n

So I ask God to help with\u00a0humility, knowing it\u2019s not always pretty. And sometimes, the only way to get it, is to be humiliated.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“How do I look? Do these pants fit right? Is this shirt tight across the back?”<\/p>\n

There are few men who would ever want to answer questions like these. Along with your mother’s cooking, old girlfriends, and commenting on the number of shoes in a closet, no man should ever comment on a woman\u2019s weight. Even when pressed to be honest, we know it\u2019s just a no win situation and you need to back away slowly. I mean swiftly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2375,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1352","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nDoes this article make me look fat?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"I could pull the chair over and stand it so I\u2019d be a little taller. And maybe people would be fooled \u2014 for a while. 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