Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all? You know the story from your childhood. The character behind those words was filled with a drive for control and a drive to be the most beautiful. In that fairy tale, the character is known as “the evil queen” – the “tell me I’m the most beautiful” queen.
Have you ever taken a good look in the mirror and wondered what others see in you? If you’re in the music ministry you’re likely in front of people, on stage performing often. Your desire is probably not to be the “most beautiful” but you may have a secret desire to be recognized as the most gifted singer at your church – to “wow” the audience with your voice and to strive for standing ovations. The applause at the end of your songs may be becoming more and more important to you.
The truth is – we all have to fight these temptations because the enemy wants each of us to make our ministry about ourselves. Little by little a ministry that began as a Christ-filled ministry can change and become more about the singer than the Savior.
We must guard against this! Guard your ministry by guarding your heart. Ask yourself these questions: Does my life reflect Jesus or the world? Am I living more and more like a child of the King or a child of the world? Am I fitting into the world’s mold or being molded by my Father’s hands? Has my music ministry become more about me and less about Jesus?
Romans 12:1 tells us not to be conformed to the world; I love how The Message Bible states it – “Don’t become so well adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking.” Wow! I John 2:15-16 says, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world-the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and the pride of life – is not from the Father but is from the world.” (ESV) Did you catch that? – the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, the pride of life – all are of the world. Dear fellow musicians, we are called to be in the world but not of the world. The world (just like the evil queen in the fairy tale) says to run after self-recognition and applause, fame and success, being served instead of serving.
Let’s march to the beat of a different drum. Let’s look into the “mirror” of God’s Word and ask the Lord, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to help us to live and minister as a children of the King. May the “mirror” show someone whose life and ministry is reflecting more of Jesus as each day passes.