15-5

Servanthood Vs. Stardom (Chapter 2)

As an artist it is so hard to be a servant. Most of the time we are up on stage and everyone is looking for us to do something great. Servanthood is all about humility. Often we have the wrong idea when it comes to humility. We think that humility means that we don't think that we are any good. It doesn't mean that at all! It means that we have an accurate view of ourselves. Don't beat yourself up and pretend that you are humble. Don't mistake a poor self image for humility. The focus then is still on yourself, it is just a negative focus instead of a positive one. Know your strengths, know your weaknesses, and give glory to God. I say give glory to God because without Him we wouldn't have any of the talents that we have to begin with! The prideful person says, 'Look what I did!' But the humble person says, 'Look what God used me to do!'

In Luke 17:10 we learn that when we do what God has gifted us to do we have 'done our duty.' Don't expect to be patted on the back all the time for using your gifts. You should be using your gifts to glorify God, that is why He gave them to you! Another thing we 'artsy types' struggle with is an intense desire to be better than everyone else. This is pride. C.S. Lewis says, "Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man."

Artists in the church need to keep all of this in mind. But perhaps the most important thing for an artist in the church to remember is that the message is first and foremost. If 'tricking' your voice makes a word harder to understand, don't do it, no matter how good it makes you sound! If you are an instrumentalist, don't crank it up to 11 to draw attention to how great your solo is. Don't draw undue attention to yourself. As artists in the church, we are to serve the message, not ourselves.

What is the secret of humility? I think Rory Noland put it very well when he said, "We are all background. Jesus Christ is center stage, not us. He must increase and we must decrease."

Enjoy the Journey