My favorite thing about Jesus’ life on earth is the way he loved people through everything he did. He didn’t have selfish ambition.
Philippians 2 is an inspiration to us…
“In your relationships with one another,have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death -even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name.” Philippians 2:5-9
I’m asking myself, how can I love others through the gifts God has given me? How can I love people through worship leading and songwriting?
It’s going beyond my comforts, allowing myself to be compelled by compassion like Christ is. It’s stopping in the hall to say hi to someone at church when I could easily keep walking. For artists, maybe it’s going to smaller churches to share your songs instead of favoring larger opportunities. For the busy creative types, it’s cutting out the “extra” in your life, so you can be more driven in seeing His kingdom come.
This year, God impressed on my heart not to hold back from doing exactly what He has given me passion to do. For three years, I have been half-heartedly working on a girl’s devotional book, co-authored with Becca. But the vision for the book has been in me for years longer that that. I see a desperate need for truth, freedom and love in today’s young women.
Being too busy and too distracted had me dragging my heels in finishing the book. And God was prodding me not to waste any more time. Essentially, to stop holding onto it for myself! (This is me, left, working on our Devotional Book for girls. The finish line is finally in sight!)
Can some of you relate to this with your songwriting? Is there a song you need to release to God and see how He can use it? Perfection doesn’t come first, God’s purpose does.
Take a minute to search your heart for the passions that light up on the inside of you. Write them down and pray. Ask God to show you which of these passions are His dreams. Separating out our selfish ambitions from God’s pure ones is essential before acting on a vision. But once you know, don’t waste time in faithfully serving your Master in acts of faith.
With complete love and abandon, Jesus served his purpose here on Earth by listening to the Father and obeying every time. Before I stop here and decide that His example is just too hard to follow, I must realize that I’m now united with Christ. His Spirit is working in me to become like Him. Though the task can be daunting, I’m not going to serve in my own strength.
Elissa
