Dear worship leader, musician, singer, and creative artist, we know the drill: shiny guitars and red keyboards. Set designs and set lists. Countdowns and title packages. Custom patches and custom in-ears. Smiling greeters and smiling worship leaders. Jangly guitars and pumping fists. Backing tracks and backing vocals.
They are, in fact, elements of weekend services. And…I love them. All of them.
At the core, those things are superfluous, but in my heart (and in the heart of many leaders), they are tools that represent our desire to push the envelope of creativity, serve our congregations with methods that point clearly to Jesus, and display excellence unto the Lord, because after all, He deserves the best that we have within our hands.
Be Motivated by Excellence
I place a high value upon excellence and admire people who do the same. But excellence isn’t simply a point of personal appreciation. In fact, excellence is a biblical mandate. Recorded in Colossians 3:23-24, the apostle Paul said, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” When we demonstrate excellence, we demonstrate the nature of our God who is excellent. But excellence is not to be confused with the slippery, frustrating slope of perfection. Often, the pursuit of perfection is an illusive and unattainable trap that yields minimal progress. Hidden within that misguided pursuit is the temptation to become distracted from our primary purpose as creative artists: lifting the name of Jesus.
Don’t Get Distracted
On the subject, the writer of Hebrews admonishes us best, as recorded in Hebrews 12:2 (AMP): “Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]…” As it pertains to us worship artists, I believe there are three distractions that knock on our door regularly.
Individualism
In the 2000 hit alternative song, My Way, an anthem of self-reliance and pride is made known: “Yeah this time I’m ‘a let it all come out / This time I’m ‘a stand up and shout / I’m ‘a do things my way / It’s my way / My way, or the highway.” How many of us subtly serve in ministry with this theme at work in our hearts? You know what I’m talking about, especially as artists: “I think…I prefer…I feel.” Now, there’s certainly nothing wrong with having an opinion and preference. But being opinionated about issues that really don’t concern us is detrimental to the long-term health of our teams and the overall development of our potential. More specifically, Webster’s Dictionary defines individualism as “the belief that the needs of each person are more important than the needs of the whole society or group; the actions or attitudes of a person who does things without being concerned about what other people will think.”
We all have limitations, and as such, allowing others’ perspectives into our lives helps us grow in areas we would otherwise miss. Point being, we don’t know what we don’t know! I believe it’s for that reason Solomon advised us that “Where there is no counsel, purposes are frustrated, but with many counselors they are accomplished.” (Proverbs 15:22 AMP) And if that wasn’t enough evidence that we can’t successfully navigate life on our own, in Ecclesiastes 4:12 (MSG), he said, “By yourself you’re unprotected. With a friend you can face the worst. Can you round up a third? A three-stranded rope isn’t easily snapped.” The second common distraction to worship artists is comparison.
Comparison
Recorded in 2 Corinthians 10:12, the apostle Paul said, “Not that we [have the audacity to] venture to class or [even to] compare ourselves with some who exalt and furnish testimonials for themselves! However, when they measure themselves with themselves and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding and behave unwisely.”
Paul describes those who thrive upon comparison as being unwise. I believe comparison reduces our valuable uniqueness to an overwhelming sense of insignificance and discouragement. Most often, comparison is fueled by insecurity, which has its roots in pride. Simply stated, comparison derails us from maximizing the potential God has placed upon our lives. Additionally, comparison traps us into building our own kingdom of self-importance, a situation in which even Jesus’ brothers found themselves:
“His [Jesus’] brothers said, ‘Why don’t you leave here and go up to the Feast so your disciples can get a good look at the works you do? No one who intends to be publicly known does everything behind the scenes. If you’re serious about what you are doing, come out in the open and show the world.’ His brothers were pushing him like this because they didn’t believe in him either.” (John 7:4-5 MSG)
Interestingly, Jesus knew that in the right time, His Father would lift Him up. How true is that for us today? We so easily take credit for our gifting, perform from that identity, take our “selfies,” broadcast our highlight reel to the world, and then wonder why we flat-line so quickly. Know this: comparison is a thief of your God-birthed identity and purpose! And not far from comparison is the third distraction common to worship artists: negativity.
Negativity
One of my least favorite responses to a challenge is, “It can’t be done.” Over the years of leading teams, I have noticed that this statement usually emanates from a frustration with a lack of resources (staging, musicians/talent, equipment and technology, etc.) Friend, there’s always a way to accomplish a task. Having the attitude of a “can do” team member is far more than what comes out of your mouth, too. 85% of all communication of meaning is non-verbal. So I ask, “what does your body language speak to everyone on your team?”
Negativity is cancer to your team culture. Consistently negative people are often selfish people who “offer” themselves in order to satisfy an emotional or ego need, not a Kingdom-building need. As such, a common by-product of negativity is divisiveness. On the subject, the apostle Paul instructs, “If people are causing divisions among you, give a first and second warning. After that, have nothing more to do with them.” (Titus 3:10 NLT) Yikes! As severe as those words are, it goes to prove how important unity is in our team culture.
To me, it comes down to understanding that the local church is the house of God, not the “restaurant of God.” And in a house, we serve.
I pray that we stir each other up to keep the main thing…the main thing. May the resources we’re blessed with simply be tools to advance the cause of Christ in our local churches. May we find the greatest treasures in each other as we bring the Gospel to the world. And may we realize that the root in our hearts determines the quality of fruit we all desire.
The ALSO Idol