For Christian Writers Questioning If Their Work Matters

The kingdom impact you can't see in your metrics

There was a moment, not that long ago, that I specifically remember staring at my screen, watching the numbers climb.

600 likes.

I was still finding my voice in the vast digital landscape (and still am), so for The Writer’s Calling, this was my version of viral.

The dopamine hit was real. The surge, the peak, the inevitable decline—it all followed the same emotional arc I'd experienced years before with truly viral content.

Really, whether it's 600 likes or 60,000, our hearts respond the same way.

Then came the next posts. Lower numbers. Modest engagement. And suddenly I found myself in that familiar place, asking the wrong question:

"How do I maintain this momentum?"

Not "How do I serve my readers?" but "How do I recreate this high?"

The Metrics Trap We All Face

As Christian writers in digital spaces, we live with a kind of constant tension.

We want our messages to reach people—that's good and right. But somewhere between checking analytics and writing our next post, something shifts.

We start believing dangerous equations like these:

• More views = more impact

• Viral = valuable

• Small numbers = small calling

• Platform growth = God's blessing

I used to live in the analytics screens. On one hand, checking stats helps us understand what resonates. But I wasn't looking for insight—I was looking for validation.

Scrolling through comments, refreshing dashboards, all while telling myself I was "stewarding my platform well."

The truth is that just checking stats gives that little hit of dopamine—when nothing has changed. It makes us feel like we're doing something productive when really, we're just feeding an addiction.

The Different Mathematics of the Kingdom

But the shepherd left ninety-nine sheep to find one lost lamb.

What a beautiful truth!

Through this parable, Jesus taught us something of Kingdom mathematics at work.

In God's economy, one soul is worth everything.

Consider Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. One divine appointment on a desert road. No audience. No platform. No metrics to track. Yet that single encounter brought the gospel to an entire nation.

This truth confronts our viral obsession with a different question: What if depth matters more than reach?

When Hearts Change, Everything Changes

Among my posts that have "performed well," what brings tears to my eyes isn't the like count.

It's the handful of direct messages.

The comments that say, "This is exactly what I needed to hear today."

The readers who mention how God spoke through these words at just the right moment.

It’s just a handful. But those responses carry a different weight than hundreds of casual likes.

When someone shares how your words met them in their struggle, when they thank you for being a vessel God used—that's Kingdom impact. No metric can capture it. No algorithm can manufacture it.

The difference is palpable. Viral moments bring nervous energy, the anxious desire to ride the wave, produce more, do more.

But knowing God used your words to touch even one heart? That brings holy tears and deep rest.

A New Way to Measure

I still feel that little surge from the flesh when something I’ve created performs will.

But I’ve realized, blessedly, that real validation doesn't come from metrics—it comes from knowing who we are.

I am a child of God. Perfectly loved.

When we absorb that love, the need for statistical validation evaporates. We're free to pass along His love in whatever small way we can.

So what if we measured differently?

• Instead of tracking engagement rates, what if we kept a folder of transformation stories?

• Instead of obsessively optimizing for algorithms, what if we asked, "What does my community need to hear?"

• Instead of chasing virality, what if we pursued presence?

The Practice of Kingdom Metrics

If I could sit with a writer anxiously trying to recreate (or create for the first time) their first "viral" moment, here's what I'd say:

Just rest. Move in Christ—in Him we live and move and have our being.

Spread seed generously.

Trust the Gardener with the harvest.

Focus on your identity as His beloved. Read 1 John and let His love redefine your success.

This week, try writing something for just one person God places on your heart. Don't check the stats for 48 hours.

Because in the Kingdom, going viral means something entirely different. It’s God's love spreading from heart to heart, one transformed life at a time.

And by the way, it may be a while before you get any positive feedback. But I can tell you that dozens, if not hundreds of people may read and be impacted by what you share, even if they don’t leave a single like.

Honestly, when you've seen Him use your words to change even one life, you realize that's miracle enough.

That's viral enough.