God Can Use You
Ok so with the decision to give being worship leader a shot, I was thrown into a world that I really had only been on the outskirts of. Sure, I had been on a worship team for a few years, again just singing harmony, and now I was thrust into the virtual and actual spotlight. If this was going to succeed or fail, it was on my shoulders and my shoulders alone, right? Wrong!
My life verses are Proverbs 3: 5+6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understandings, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.” I have leaned on this verse ever since I was a teenager. I think the first time that this verse hit me, was when the pastors wife of the church that I grew up in quoted it. I can not remember what the exact circumstances were at the time or what I may have been going through in my life, but for one reason or another it hit me.
Ever since then I have put these verses in the forefront of my mind with every new adventure I have tried. So with that said, let me give you a little of my resume that screams, “This guy is going to be a worship pastor when he grows up!” I have had over 17 jobs. Now I am not talking about paper routes and cash under the table jobs, I have had 17 actual taxes taken out of my check jobs. As a matter of fact, my first job I can still remember what my hourly rate was, are you ready…$3.35 p/h. I worked as a park attendant the summer before I turned 16 at a local park. Beyond that there were a plethora of other jobs that I held to help prepare me for praise leader-hood. Here are just a few: car washer, retail (3 different stores), storage facility, stage hand, homeless shelter night shift, day care center, not to mention “real” jobs like; Army Reserves, Truck Rental Agency Owner, Systems Administrator ( 2 companies) and consultant.
Now those are not all the jobs that I have ever held, but that should give you enough info to realize that my background is quite eclectic and certainly not a straight path to becoming a Pastor. What is funny is that the more pastors I meet, the more that I see God using these ordinary people, living ordinary lives, to do extraordinary things for Him and through Him. I mean think about it, how many instances do we see in the bible of people God used that were not up to the task until God called them and used them. Moses…could not speak well, Paul…Christian killer, David…murderer and adulterer and there are many many more. God took His time to work through all of these people and that is what He is doing for you at this very moment.
People always say, don’t pray for patience, well I am telling you today to BE patient and wait on the Lord. I am not saying don’t make a move or a decision without seeing a burning bush, but I am saying pray, study, seek Godly council and keep moving. If you have accepted Christ and are striving to live for Him, then your decisions and actions will be blessed by Him. Romans 8:28 says “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose.”
I accepted Christ into my heart at 12 years old. Since then (and even before then) I have tried to live for Jesus. I still fall, I still sin, and I make so many dumb and selfish mistakes daily that I have lost count. But I also know that I am loved by a God who has forgiven not only my past and present sins, but all the sins that I will commit until the day I am home with Him in heaven.
Don’t get discouraged in your daily walk with Him and don’t give up on the calling that He has put in your life. The time that you are spending now working full time at a “normal” job and the countless volunteer hours that you are putting in as a worship leader are being used by your Father in heaven to deepen His relationship with you and to grow you to become the worship leader you are and will be.
One last thing…did I mention that I am still working part-time for a consulting firm out in the real world while being the full-time worship pastor at MACC?
…but that is a story for another time…