I have some confessions to make. I love good music. I love good musicians. I love good musicians making good music. And, very much unfortunately, I used to get impatient with musicians who weren’t up to a certain standard and weren’t making good music.
Pride Revealed
God has been revealing to me the pride that has been in my heart and the idol of excellence that I had been worshiping for far too long. Recently I mentioned seven lessons I’m learning in worship ministry, and one of the absolute hardest, yet best, lessons I’ve needed to learn is that people are much more important than music. Let’s take a look at what Paul says from the second half of Romans 12:
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. (Romans 12:3-5)
The last verse of that passage sets up the next verses that specifically get into the spiritual gifts within the church, but the first two verses apply greatly here. I have been so guilty of thinking of myself more highly than I ought to because I’ve had more opportunities to play music professionally or because I was on staff once upon a time. I wish that wasn’t true, but it is, and to those that it might have affected, if you’re reading, I’m deeply sorry.
Yes, the Bible does command us to “play skillfully” but that does not mean play skillfully and force others to play skillfully while sacrificing relationships with them. The writer to the Hebrews put it this way:
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:24-25)
Leader First, Musician Second.
I’m learning more and more that I’ve spent a lot of my time being a good musician pretending to be a leader. I need to flip that around, and I believe all of us as worship leaders need to flip that around as well; we need to be great leaders who happen to be good musicians. Would you do that with me? Encourage one another. Encourage one another without mentioning music. Yes, encourage one another to become better musicians, but care for each other first. Encourage each other deeply. Care for people more than music.
(photo by Stacey Lewis)
