September
2004 CJA Network Newsletter Featured Article
Eric
Copeland
(For the Creative Soul)
Big God...Little Creative
People
So, you're sitting there planning your next strategic
move. The one that
will propel your obvious talent to the (drum
roll please) "next level".
Perhaps it's that CD project that, once it's done,
will simply show the
world how it cannot possibly ignore what God has
given you to say. Maybe
it's the praise song or church solo that will
finally influence the music
director and/or pastor that you indeed have a
talent the church can get
behind and support. Or maybe it's that
leadership role you know you're
entitled to, because of your months in prayer,
practice, and dieting have
made you more humble, more diligent, and much
better at what you so.
To this I say: Yay! Good! Way to go. You got serious
about your craft and
your talent, and what God has given you to do,
and finally it may just pay
off.
But (there's always a but to these emails isn't
there?), what if, it doesn't
work? What if the A&R guy says, "It's
good, but it doesn't say anything in a new
way. Keep at it!" What if the music
director pats you on the back and the
pastor moves onto the sermon without
acknowledging the song? What happens
when the leadership position goes to someone
else, that is very qualified
too?
Suddenly, you feel like, "What's the point? What
does God expect me to do? I
certainly can't break into the industry, or be
special in my huge church, or
get gigs at the churches in my town even!"
A wise industry sage lately shared this with me
recently: "The Kingdom of
God is vast, like the universe, and the
Christian Music Industry is a tiny
little speck in the vastness of God. Yet so many
Christians spend so much of
their energy trying to focus on that little
speck of this huge universe of
God." And that goes for anything we see as
the "ultimate" for our talents (a
record deal, a church position, a solo, etc.).
How many times must I type and you read that God made
us "uniquely" to serve
and share our individual talents for His Glory.
We have to realize our
talent was meant to be used in the way He set
before us, not JUST the way He
set before Michael W. Smith or your music
director.
So what does this mean? What, you want answers?? OK,
let's get into it:
Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom
of God, and his righteousness; and all
these things shall be added unto you.(NIV) Or, "Steep
your life in God-reality, God-initiative,
God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out.
You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be
met.
I know, that's an obvious
one. But when you wonder where you are to turn
next, you HAVE to take some comfort in knowing
that the all-powerful One who
made you is worthy enough to invest your
thoughts, your doubts, and your
creative energy in.
Instead of spending your energy on "how do I
impress the industry, the
church, the booking agent, or the leadership,
our focus needs to be, how can
I improve on what God has made me in this
season.
Ecclesiastes 3
1 To every thing there is a season,
and a time to every purpose under the
heaven:
2 A time to be born, and a time to
die; a time to plant, and a time to
pluck up that which is planted (KJV)
This may be the time for things to happen just like
you dreamed. Or, it may
be a season in which you learn to be a better
songwriter, a better singer, a
better head of your household, a better
spouse/parent, or a better leader.
Sometimes this comes through hard times. But this is
the way of God. And He
is smarter than you!
It's a large universe out there. Look up at the stars
tonight and realize
that the Creator of those stars made you to do
something incredible for Him.
There's only one "next level"...and that's
HIS level.
How about going for that?
Eric Copeland
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www.CreativeSoulOnline.com
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