Let’s be honest.
Or, maybe I’ll just be honest. Sometimes I don’t feel very good at what I do. Insecurities come knocking and not only do I open the door, I prepare a feast for them to come and dine.
Are you the same way? Don’t worry this will get more encouraging.
It’s a strange habit. It’s as if I’m completely unhappy with who I am, how I’m wired, and what God has gifted me with. It’s as if I wish God had made me another person.
- I’m getting old. I’ve lost my edge.
- I have a growing family. I can’t do what I used to do.
- My songs aren’t as good as his songs.
- I don’t have the connections I wish I had.
- I’ll never fully reach my potential.
- I don’t know how to lead worship anymore.
- I wish I was more popular.
Do you entertain many of the same insecurities? Do you have others?
The other day I asked my good friend, Malcolm DuPlessis, how we can be more authentic as worship leaders. Malcolm is a voice I deeply respect – prophetic, pastoral, & challenging.
To hear the whole conversation check out my most recent podcast.
You know what he said?
It’s impossible to try and be authentic. To just be comfortable in one’s own skin is a great gift.”
After hearing those words, I could breathe a sigh of relief. My stressed out, striving, prove-to-the-world-I’m-valuable self could just relax.
I don’t need to be like someone else. I don’t need to compare myself. Because the greatest gift I can give to the world is to be myself. The more comfortable I am with who I am, the more effectively I can lead people to Jesus. When I’m discontent and competitive, I simply draw attention to my own hustle and striving, which doesn’t help anybody.
This is all easier said than done. We always want what we don’t have. We want to be that which we are not. But what would happen if we all leaned fully into who God created us to be? What kind of explosive impact would we have?
The Problem with Insecurity
The problem is the pressure we all feel. We know the artists that top the iTunes charts. We see who gets the most attention. Celebrity leaders are everywhere. And we feel we need to be like them in order to succeed.
But what if the greatest gift you could give to the world was to be yourself? You – your raw, real, simple self. No pretense. No masks. Just you as God designed you to be.
Insecure worship leaders also don’t lead their teams well. They see other musicians as a threat rather than an opportunity for disciple-making. They are the greatest limitation to their ministry because they don’t give others a chance to surpass them.
Which is a lot easier said than done. No one likes to be second best or out shined by another. But when you hit that sweet spot of ignoring your own notoriety and become a champion of other’s success, you start making the difference you are capable of making.
So breathe a sigh of relief. Love the person God has designed you to be. And the next time insecurities come knocking, don’t answer the door.
Just get to work doing God’s will, making disciples, and shining a spotlight on the glory of God.
[ois skin=”Beyond Sunday 2″]
Philippians 2:1-11 may well be the ultimate expression of leadership character and potential that does more than fleshly, hot-shot performances.
These verses are worthy of our memorization.
There is nothing about the “Contemporary Christian” industry of music that says what this verse says. The Praise and Worship movement has become a blight–a perfect example of carnality couched as spirituality. It is the father of the lies we tell ourselves each week agreeing to play their game. They count on our egos to keep their sales up and their “stars” in the limelight.
Music and money draws musicians into a web of competitiveness and one-up-man-ship, no matter the style–no matter the text. I see very few Christians (who are also musicians) winning the battle these days. The industry monkey wants to ride on all of our backs and we choose to let him or not. Today, the guy with no monkey on his back is considered “the looser”.
UNLESS
“Christ encourages you, and his love comforts you. God’s Spirit unites you, and you are concerned for others. 2 Now make me completely happy! Live in harmony by showing love for each other. Be united in what you think, as if you were only one person. 3 Don’t be jealous or proud, but be humble and consider others more important than yourselves. 4 Care about them as much as you care about yourselves 5 and think the same way that Christ Jesus thought:[a]
6 Christ was truly God.
But he did not try to remain[b]
equal with God.
7 Instead he gave up everything[c]
and became a slave,
when he became
like one of us.
8 Christ was humble.
He obeyed God
and even died
on a cross.
9 Then God gave Christ
the highest place
and honored his name
above all others.
10 So at the name of Jesus
everyone will bow down,
those in heaven, on earth,
and under the earth.
11 And to the glory
of God the Father
everyone will openly agree,
“Jesus Christ is Lord!” CEV
I am not saying that the so called “Christian” music industry is part of the problem.
I am saying that it IS the problem–as I buy into their program.
Dude, dial it back a notch.
David, great post. I also have found that the more secure you are as a lead worshiper, the more insecure the worship pastor can become. When this happens, I’ve seen them doing all areas of the ministry (in an attempt to control and keep their ‘position’) instead of choosing to pour their knowledge/experience into others by teaching, delegating, and entrusting. They attempt to hold onto all responsibilities on their own. (Can you spell b-u-r-n-o-u-t?)
I have also seen ‘cliques’ that form when the worship pastor gets comfortable with certain musicians and vocalists because of their own insecurities. (they like to work with them because they can then outshine them, as you speak of) This steals the worship/focus towards God and shifts it to man. Well, even satan was a worship leader! You see where he ended up when he wanted equality with God.
I think the job/role of worship pastor is really simple but extremely complex too; be humble, confident, not prideful in the Lord’s abilities to work through you so that you work yourself OUT of a ‘position’ or role by training and equipping others so that you can move forward onto the next place God has planned for you to use your gifts. Sharing and giving away what God has entrusted to us is crucial, vital to overall growth. Let’s pass security and confidence onto lead worshipers, not the thorn of insecurity and pride. Just my penny’s worth of thoughts.
Excellent advice!! I’m in this place now. I want to pour into the new leaders, so I can transition to the next phase of ministry. Having security and confidence in what God can do through you is such a free place to be.
Glad I came across this post today. Much needed. I’ve been feeling for the last few weeks that I have been running from what/who God has created me to be. I’ve been trying to impress people that don’t really matter. My insecurities and my desire for everyone to like me have lead me down a path that I never intended to be on. So, thank for this post, as it’s being used to help me realign my priorities to what’s important once again.
Thank you, l have learnt that I am not alone in the way l sometimes feel insecure.
It is 6 am and I was pondering ” if God has called me into worship leading and pastoralship then why hasn’t the door opened yet. ” I have come to realize that I get in my own way at times. This post has made me look deep down and understand my insucuruties. My Identity is in Christ. So I need to reexamine and refocus my energy into serving. Thank you for the honesty within this post.