I’ve only recently given myself permission to dive into songwriting. One of the main reasons why this is late coming is the fact that I’m a Christian and a worship leader but I’m not really a worship songwriter. Counter-intuitive, right?
Let me explain: In the past, I’ve seen writing worship songs as the only suitable form of expressing my writing abilities. And, since I’m intimidated to jump into the realm of worship songs, I just haven’t written much of anything. (Does this make sense? I’m not sure if it makes sense.)
A few years ago, I served at a retreat where our speaker encouraged us to see God in people – all people – because we bear His image. She used the example of creative types: artists, musicians, poets, etc. She said God’s first relationship with mankind was as Creator – even before He was Redeemer. As Creator, He made us in His image. And we can easily see the “creator image” in creatives – artists – around us. She finds beauty in all forms of art, Christian or Non-Christian, because we are image bearers. And, in that moment, she gave me permission to just… create.
Soon after that, I started writing more – about anything and everything. About life, love, and faith. And, I like this place. I feel ALIVE in this place.
BUT.
I recently read Friesen’s “Decision-Making and the Will of God.” There’s a question from Chapter 23 that gave me pause:
“Where can my gift be most wisely used to effectively serve God?”
This is the question I’m currently wrestling with. Am I most effectively serving God by writing songs about how much I want to go to the beach? About where we might move when this is over? About a tough friendship in my life? About how much I love Drew? About how crappy life can be sometimes? About some guy named Hector who can’t get a job…?
HOW is God glorified in Hector?
So, here I sit, again thinking that my creative energy might be most wisely used in writing songs to uplift and encourage the Body of Christ – to give them words to sing to their God.
I don’t know what to do. But, I know one thing: If I stop writing altogether, I think my soul will shrivel up and die.
Thoughts?
Writing songs and singing them is just that… a gift from God. Some of those songs are going to be directly about Him. Some will be about life. Some will be about struggle, or joy, or life in general. The creative juices that flow through you in a song like Hector might spark a song about God. It might spark someone else to write a song about God – or then again they might just write a song about life in general.
In my mind (and I could be all wrong on this) God gave each of us talents to use. Each time we use those talents we glorify Him. For example, does God want a strong marriage – yes. Does you singing about your love for Drew show that strong marriage – yes. One in the same – yes.
In conclusion, if writing about life in general brings you closer to God – it is a good thing. If those writings push you further away – it is a bad thing. Some things we do are meant to bring us closer to God, others are meant to bring someone else closer to God.
Keep doing what you’re doing.
Honestly, I think we try and compartmentalize our life, faith, and even our gifts too much.
I’ve always believed that music is glorifying God because it is written from a person who has a life (heart) that wants to glorify Him, NOT because it has lyrics or a label (worship music) that SAYS it’s glorifying God.
As you hone your craft, God will give you nudges like this to use your gift to write songs that are more lyrically use-able for corporate worship and then other times he’ll give you a nudge to write songs that are more appropriate for relating with others on a personal level.
If your heart is turned towards Him, the end result is the same. Following His nudges and not pigeon-holing your gift into one tiny area, you’ll see that you are fulfilled, others are encouraged, and He is ultimately glorified.
These thoughts are really going around the blog world, I’ve noticed. Interesting that you’re not the only one.
Here’s a little of my opinion. You have been given a gift of writing. Even your random writing is good. And here’s one good reason why: you’re part of a community. You are actually being used to build community. The people that read your writing and comment and think about what you have written are that community. It’s real. I think that’s important.
So is the songwriting. Whether one brings more glory to God, I don’t know. Certainly the songwriting would seem to be more so, but I don’t know.
I love your blog. I love reading the though-provoking stuff as much as the I want to go to the beach stuff.
What I think is happening is God is trying to get His people to focus. We’re an all over the place kind of people. At least I am. Sometimes our blogs and writing are a reflection of that. I think we just need to be more purposeful in our writing/creating/serving God (even in the mundane stuff, God is in the mundane!) and hopefully that can encompass both songwriting and blog writing.
I’m with you though. If I were to stop writing I think my soul would shrivel up and die too.
Once my husband had a convo with someone. It went like this:
Husband: I just saw a great movie.
Someone: Was it a Christian movie?
Husband: Yes. And then I ate a Christian hamburger. [note sarcastic overtones]
My point?
Authenticity is the purest form of worship.
i’m with russ. keep on doing what you’re doing.
my husband and i have been on a long journey since we’ve been married. it’s a journey where we have been melting our “secular” skills and jobs and likes with our “spiritual” ones.
we have been (slowly) discovering that there is no separation between our secular and our spiritual as followers of Christ. when we invite Him in, we invite Him in to EVERY part of us. we serve Him in ALL of it. whether i am leading worship or performing in an opera, i am serving Him, because i am using the talents He has given me. i am a multi-faceted person. and just because i’m in music doesn’t mean the only way i can serve God is by writing/singing worship songs. that’s just one of the most obvious ways.
clarification “we serve Him in ALL of it.” not by default. by our choosing. just wanted to clarify.
we too often divide sacred and secular with an enormous canyon. we are His and He is ours… everything is sacred. even Hector.
I can only echo what every else has said. If you believe you received your gift, talent, from God then everything you create reflects him.
You could say that every creative impluse you get is God moving you in a particular direction.
Echo, echo, echo…
I’m late these days
I’ll add this :
I started writing songs when I was around 3 or 4. And by that, I mean thinking about structure, etc. Of course they were nonsensical too.
I kept writing songs sporadically throughout my childhood and teens, about anything and everything.
Then I stopped because I didn’t feel good enough. Who needed my songs in a world full of songs so much better?
God pulled me aside and said “hey, I put those songs in your heart, the silly ones included”
“Yeah right, sure you did”
It took me about 10 years, but I finally believed Him.
We’re not all required to do the same thing, just to do all things with a right spirit.
Hector is fun. Fun is good. God is good. God invented fun.
Don’t let Satan steal that joy.
This is one where you and i are almost exactly the same!
You have the ‘benefit’ of being reasonably certain you know where your gift or talent lies and have a possible avenue to bringing it out into the world – your Music. I think mine lies in my ablity to use words – but then i am less certain about how that can be usefully put out into the world – or even that it should be.
You and i share the common desire to want to do what best glorifies Him in what we do – we don’t like the idea that we ‘waste’ our time or talent in doing les than we could be doing.
Each of us might have different reasons for not doing ALL we believe we are capable of in that area but we both have the desire to do the Right thing and not the wrong one.
Your creative energy is ignited by the Spark that Only God is capable of igniting – if you have Him in your heart and you love Him with ALL your heart then the creativity you initiate and bring into the world through your physical body, lead by your holy spirit will be doing His work as best it can in you.
That spark however then needs to burn through and come out of your physical body into this world so as to light it with a holy flame light.
If you can do all you can to prevent the corruption this earth brings to God’s Glory while still letting His fire burn within you at your core, then whatever comes out of you – be it a song that delights the child within us like Hector, Hector or a truly great song of worship that the whole world joins in with is immaterial.
You will be doing His work as wisely as you know how – or more precisely as He knows how for you.
Don’t sweat it too much – concentrate on loving Him first and let what follows follow.
Now if i can just do that myself….
<B
I concur with previous commenters.
If you believe God called you to this, then pour your heart out, cry out to him in anger and pain and worship him with laughter and praise.
God uses us all. We don’t have to be perfect, just willing.
Mandy,
There is an singer/songwriter that I work with here in Houston by the name of Phil Baker. He is a worship leader at his church but never really intended to be a “Christian music artist”, but rather an “artist who is a Christian”.
Interesting thing is that his music has incredibly powerful messages and ministry in them. I guess it just comes naturally as you share your thoughts, values and beliefs thru songwriting. Just keep writing what feels good to you and the rest will take care of itself.
M. Bruce Abbott
http://www.MusicMarketingHelp.com
I love Romans 11:29: “…for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.” It doesn’t say that He’ll take them away if you’re not a believer or if you’re not living a Christian life. He gives gifts to all and by enjoying and recognizing the gifts in others we are enjoying God. We are acknowledging His work — His artistry. It doesn’t matter if it’s about spiritual things or about romance, or about a day at the beach.
I struggle with this as well. I spent a lot of time writing country music in Nashville and continue to write music about all of life — including my relationship with God. It’s funny because some of the best responses to my Christian songs are people who came to know me through my Country music and vice-versa. Just because marketers cordon people off into genres doesn’t mean that’s the way people listen to music.
So I give the advice that I’m trying to live myself: Write what you see and hear (and feel, taste, and touch
. Your gift will make a way for you (Proverbs 18:16).