I remember a day in high school when I approached my dad and told him I was in love with my girlfriend and wanted to marry her. He looked at me and said that he understood but that he would not be able to give his blessing at that time. I was confused, I didn’t understand why he was holding me back from this step. After all, he knew how much I loved her. For some reason, in spite of how much I loved my girlfriend, my dad didn’t feel like I was ready to be a husband, and he was right.
There are times as an aspiring worship leader where we realize that God has placed a love in our hearts for worship and know we are meant to be leaders. But for some reason it seems that when we approach Him about it in prayer, He seems to say I understand, but I can’t give you my blessing yet. God’s timing is often so different from our own, and we tend to get frustrated when we feel that we are not being used in our full capacity. The secret to not getting burnt out during this time is to remember that for whatever reason, we are not prepared in our Father’s eyes yet but that does not mean that we will never be ready. Another thought to consider is that you may be equipped, but wherever God has in mind to use you may not be in existance yet.
You may be wondering at this point what exactly I mean when I say “God’s blessing” or “Anointing”. His blessing is what makes churches grow, pastors ignite, bands rise, and nations thrive. It’s what heals the wounded, fixes the broken, unleashes the captive, and restores what’s been lost. Some pursue their own passions without God’s anointing, leading to what the Bible refers to as “bad fruit”. In our case here, it leads to self serving worship. We know as worship leaders that we have one purpose, to bring Honor to our Lord. Without that goal in mind, worship becomes nothing more than empty music. I’m sure that we all have seen a worship band that does not have God’s anointing on it. There is simply no power there. If you want to see lives changed, then wait for God’s timing, don’t force yours. Sometimes, we can get so caught up in our own plans and schemes that we forget that He is working all things out for the good of those who love Him.
About a year and a half after the day I first talked to my dad about marriage, I married my wife, and I did it with my dad’s blessing. Looking back, it is a really good thing that I waited. I may have been able to do it on my own, without his approval, but it has been so much better for us with it. God sees things from such a different perspective and we have to trust that he knows what is best for us as worship leaders.
There is one thing we can do while we wait for his timing. We can enjoy dating! As much as I love being married to my wife, there are memories I have from our dating years that I would not trade for the world. Right now it may appear that the grass is greener on the other side and you can’t wait to be a leader. But when that day comes, you may turn around and remember how good it was when all you had to do was worship the Lord full heartedly without the responsibility that comes with leading. You will always hold on to the memories you make right now, and this is a time where God grows your relationship with Him. So don’t rush through it, enjoy it! Trust me, His plan is so much better than ours, and the best part is, it will work! Remember, the greatest generals of all time were once simple privates. If you want to move mountains with your worship, wait for God to tell you to.
4 Comments
Great article!
Learning to wait on God’s timing was hard for me. I tried for almost 10 years to do what God did 1000 fold in a split second. I am so blessed!
Nice!
Thank you for writing this. I need to hear this message. God bless!