The Pensacola Christian College spotlight reminded me that being in the spotlight is what I do. People know that I get in front of an audience. I perform. That’s basically it in a nutshell.
There’s however an important spiritual component to being a Christian musician that’s deeper than this update story and my CD. It goes beyond the lessons I was blessed to learn at PCC. It’s not some secret to being successful that I learned during a lesson. Rather, it’s something that I’ve learned very slowly over the past twenty years since graduating.
I’ve learned that in order to have a fruitful life as a Christian, I have to make an effort to have a daily quiet place and time. I have to be serious about cultivating the basic disciplines of prayer, reading God’s word, and being a part of Bible-believing church. While there are more, these are the three bare essentials.
If I let one of them go, I begin to see tell-tale signs that my spiritual health is faltering. I need to maintain a close walk with God or I’m not ready for the spotlight.
Of course, I can go through the motions, but my performance will lack that power that only the Holy Spirit can grant. I need that power–and I desperately crave it all the time. I’ve learned the hard way that I can’t survive on a diet of Christian “lite” snacks–a quick prayer, a verse on-the-go, and a church service here and there whenever I sort of feel like it.
I desire a full and rich relationship with my Lord and Savior. It’s His voice I need to tune in to. It’s His throne that I approach boldly and share my requests. It’s His words that I hide in my heart. It’s His church that I spend time with so that we call all grow together like living stones.
When I have that time alone with God, I’m ready for the spotlight of this world to glare it’s harsh light on me. The depth of my ministry is in direct proportion to the depth of my time with the Lord.
I dare not go into any public spotlight and simply sing about Him. It’s a great risk. I want every moment of every day to be a song of gratitude that flows from a heart that has spent time knowing Him. It makes a big difference when I spend that time being close to the Lord on a regular and consistent basis.
Because that’s how I discovered that the Lord has a spotlight, too.
It’s extremely bright. Powerful. Relentless. If you get close to Him and really let Him in, that light of His word will begin to wash every room and corner with an overwhelming light. It’s almost too much light.
It was so much more comfortable walking in a ho-hum existence of knowing God on the surface. It’s much more work when I allow Him to get close and point out those areas that I’ve neglected. Like the constant dust of pride. Or the cobwebs of slander. Or the stench of discontentment. Or even the pile of worry and anxiety that seems to multiply overnight.
It’s good to be in His holy spotlight. I have to face those areas that are easy to ignore or pretend that they’re no big deal.
With His grace, that divine spotlight becomes a place of redemption and grace. It is a turning point where God declares, “You don’t need that anymore. Walk in peace.”
