Are your music gifts made for the church or for the music industry?

You are talented, full of dreams and full of musical ability. You could choose any road and it will lead you to success. But if you grew up in the House of God and you know that you have musical abilities, where should your gifts be used? 

Should they stay in God’s house or should you explore a music industry career? That’s the question we seek to understand in this blog!

Perhaps you might be feeling like you’re in limbo and you are indecisive about your future. Or perhaps you are determined you will pursue being an artist in the world because that seems to be the course to take.

How do you determine which path to take? I want to give you some food for thought so that it helps your decision on your music career.

It’s important for you to understand what you’ve been created to do so that you find your life’s purpose in your gifting. I’ll briefly share how the Father made my music path clear for me.

MY STORY

In my early 20s, I was on track to get a record deal as a Pop artist. I had a manager who was grooming me in the music industry. I was also writing pop songs with my music producer who worked at a prominent NYC recording studio. The plan was for us to write a few songs that he produced and create a demo that he would shop to the owner of his recording studio.  

The plan was in place and we were working diligently as a team to fulfill my dream to become an artist. However, over the course of time, a few life situations presented themselves. And….I also completely lost my voice for 3 months. 

In my immaturity and naiveness, I took those as signs that I was not supposed to pursue music. And so I pivoted and focused on my professional business career. I thought I was done with music and that it was not supposed to be a priority in my life. 

Yet, deep in my heart, I loved creating melodies and writing songs. I enjoyed singing but every time I thought about it, I would disregard it and not focus on it.

It wasn’t until a few years later that the Lord began to work in my life and made it clear that He hadn’t taken the gift of music from me. It was a gift He gave me that came easy and natural for me to do. 

He redirected the course of my life and put me back in music. He knew His plans for me and spoke to the Pastor of my church at that time. God made it clear to the Pastor to select me to become the new Worship Leader of our ministry.

I had no experience as a Worship Leader. I had no one to train or mentor me. The Holy Spirit became my Teacher. Today, I am grateful for the life He’s given me in music! 

I’ve had the honor to serve Him as a Worship Leader in the House of the Lord. I’ve had the privilege to lead teams of worshipers over the past 20 years. 

I can honestly say I am completely fulfilled in what I do as a Music Minister! Week in and week out, I’ve been blessed to see God’s hand over my life. 

I don’t take it for granted that my life could have looked so different had I pursued a career in pop music.

WHICH MUSIC PATH SHOULD YOU TAKE?

The same goes for you! If you are willing to make the right choice for how you will spend the rest of your music career, you will be led toward a fulfilled life.

I think we’ve seen how the major music industry can be a great blessing for some artists. But more often than not, we also see how it can suffocate a person to the point of death. 

The pressure to constantly succeed and/or remain number one can lead an artist to deviate from their original design to simply create music that fulfills their life’s purpose.

Some music industry artists have found long fulfilling music careers. I believe they were led by God to have a level of success that amounted to a fulfilling life. They were great stewards of their musical gift. 

A few pop artists come to mind whose success was not swallowed up by the music industry’s negative influences; Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, Gloria Estefan, Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, Lionel Richie, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, etc.

HOW TO FOLLOW GOD’S PLANS FOR YOUR LIFE

I also believe that in this season, the Father is making a clear distinction between those who belong to Him and those who do not. It’s up to you to seek the Lord and ask Him to help you choose where you will use your musical gift – whether in His house or for the world.

The Word of God lets us know that when God gives you a gift, it is to bless you! Proverbs 10:22 says “The blessing of the Lord brings [true] riches, And He adds no sorrow to it [for it comes as a blessing from God].”

When the Lord leads you in life, it will bring blessings.  However, if He is not the one leading you, then it’s possible the decisions you make for yourself may not be the best and they will come with consequences. 

I can tell you with confidence that the world’s influence comes with the risk to sell yourself short. If you are not being led, you may give away your gift to the world because the world promises fame, fortune, and happiness. But in the end, all these things will not bring fulfillment. There will always be an unquenching void and emptiness that the artist will try to fill with other “things.” 

When you’re musically gifted, there is competition from the world to lure you away from God’s purpose for your life. The reality is, the world wants to swallow up your gift and cut your life short. 

A prime example of this is the many great artists who were swallowed up by fame and fortune. Their careers did not endure because they succumbed to the world's standards for coping with stress (prescription or drug addictions).

Artists like Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Prince, and other great artists are examples of how an incredible gift was swallowed up by the world. They lost their lives in their prime.

Rather than growing and evolving as artists, they, unfortunately, succumbed to industry pressure, insecurities, fears, and emotional traumas (the void) while their life and purpose were slowly being stolen away from them. 

It is not God’s desire for your musical gift to be stolen from you! Jesus taught in John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

The Father has given us Jesus to redeem and return to us what the enemy has stolen! And I’m here to tell you that if the enemy is trying to steal your gift by influencing you to give your gift to the world, then we can’t let him win so easily. 

Obviously, my perspective is a bit biased because I chose to follow the Lord’s leading when it came to music. I do believe and want to encourage you to follow the Lord’s leading for your own life. Don’t just pursue a music industry career because you think it is what is best for you.

Allow the Father, who created you and who spoke over you to lead your decisions! He said in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

When you submit your plans to the Lord, He knows exactly how to lead you and what will be best for your future.  Again, Jesus said, He came to give you life and life to the full.

The best advice I can give you is to place your gift and your plans before the Lord. Ask Him to show you which direction you should take. He knows exactly what He’s designed you to do and He will give you the grace to follow that plan. 

Remember, His plans are to give you hope and a good and prosperous future. Never allow the influence of this world to steal God’s good and perfect purpose for your life.

Keep being amazing,

MRJ

PS. Click on the link below to hear our video blog on how to sustain your life’s purpose!