Friday Questions: An Interview with Aaron Armstrong

I really appreciate bloggers who consistently write good, helpful material. Aaron Armstrong is such an individual. Speaking of him, Tim Challies writes:

Aaron is one of those guys who poured a lot of effort into his blog in 2011 and the effort has paid off (at least in my estimation). He has become a go-to guy for solid theological content and excellent quotes from great writers of days gone by. He is at his best when discussing contemporary theological issues.

I’m pleased that Aaron agreed to let me interview him.

How did you get into blogging?

I got into blogging after getting “Forrest Gump”-ed into being the writer at a Christian charity in March 2008 (out of respect to my employers, they’ll remain unnamed). I had no professional experience in writing to that point and hadn’t even really tried to write anything since dabbling in blogging back in 2004 and writing some independent comics that were terrible during my college days. I kept my head above water for the first few months and churned out decent, but certainly not mind-blowing material. Around February 2009, I decided that if I was going to take this job seriously, I needed to actually get good at writing—and one of the best ways to do that is to write a lot. So I started Blogging Theologically and have been posting daily since.

You’re a busy guy, with a full time-job, family, and other responsibilities. How have you protected your time to blog?

I don’t watch a lot of TV, which helps, and I have a very patient and supportive wife, which helps even more. I also try to limit the amount of time I spend on the blog, ideally averaging out to a couple hours a night. Some nights I end up spending 30 minutes, others 4 hours.

How has blogging helped you?

Blogging has helped me in a number of ways:

• It’s given me an outlet for working through theological issues as I’ve studied Scripture
• It’s allowed me to keep up with my reading without having a book budget (Crossway and Baker in particular have been very generous)
• It’s allowed me to interact with some really fantastic people like you, Tim Challies, Trevin Wax, Jared Wilson and a bunch more
• It’s broadened my ministry, allowing me to serve not only my local church but serve more broadly through preaching periodically and now writing books.

What advice would you have for other Christian bloggers?

I’ve got a few small bits of advice:

First, and most importantly, be who you are. Don’t try to be Tim Challies, Trevin Wax, Justin Taylor or whichever big name bloggers you read because you’ll only be frustrated and disappointed (and really, no one wants to read a copycat, it’s no fun).

Second, contend well. There is a great temptation to chase gossip and controversy like so many watch-bloggers do and it’s just wicked nonsense. God is not honored by that sort of behavior. Don’t shy away from addressing a difficult subject if you have something of merit to say, particularly on a pressing issue, but try your best to be known for what you’re about rather than what you’re against.

Finally, be content with whatever influence God gives you. If you have one person reading your blog and finding it helpful, praise God. If 10,000 read it, praise God just the same. Don’t worry about things like traffic or trying to parlay your following into a book deal or any such thing. Just have fun and appreciate whatever impact God allows you to have.

Thanks, Aaron!