Who Is the most successful Worship Leader?

When I'm on the road, so often I hear the same type of sentiment from the worship leaders at the churches I visit: "I want to do what you do. How do you get out and get noticed?" Harmless perhaps in and of itself. But after so many such questions it has made me wonder... Why do so many people feel the need to travel and "be noticed"? What drives this compulsion for 'bigger' and 'better'?

I think it may be derived from our human misguided notions of what it takes to be great. We live in a world that measures greatness with human accolades. Who's name is on everyone's tongue? Who won at the Dove Awards? Who's songs are getting sung in churches, topping the CCLI charts, and selling records? We forget that our earthly benchmarks of what SUCCESS is are man-made and have ZERO heavenly or eternal value. We make the mistake of buying into the hierarchy and measuring ourselves and each other by those standards, when really God is simply measuring us by one standard; Obedience. He asks, "Are you doing what I told you to do?" "Are you being faithful with what I gave you where I placed you?"

Simple and plain: The truth is Chris Tomlin will receive no more heavenly reward for having the most songs in the top 100 on CCLI and leading thousands than "Joe hometown worship leader" who no one knows exists. Chris Tomlin will be rewarded in heaven based on whether or not he was obedient to what God told him to do. So will "Joe". We often forget that man looks at the outward appearance but God looks at the heart. Chris's obedience and "Joe's" obedience are equally applauded by our God.

If you are "Joe" leading worship in your church you need to understand God does not value you the way the world might. God's hierarchy is most often upside down from ours. He uses the weak and foolish things to shame the strong and wise. He values the humble and the least and He says one day they will be first. You need to understand that the role you play in your obedience is VITAL and NOT LESS than the one who leads from the glow of 12 focused beams of intelligent lighting. HE knows your name, and HE is so proud of you. Take a breath and take that in.

If you are intended by God for a few beams of intelligent lighting too then He'll bring you there without your help. Keep surrendering your dreams and gifts to Him and if that's where He's leading you He'll keep bringing it back to you. Just stay surrendered along the way and you'll be in good shape. Jesus said The Father is searching for worshippers. If you're being obedient to Him where He placed you, you are already a worship superstar in His eyes. If we can learn to get our validation directly from Him and not through the human hierarchy we can be content and fulfilled to serve in the space God places us - big or small.

Who is the Greatest Worship Leader?

As I type this it is in between the Tuesday and Wednesday airings of American Idol. Admittedly, I watched last night and my DVR will ensure I can watch tonight's too. But I am struck every season of this show that I actually watch by how OBSESSED our culture has become with stardom. The intensity of the desire to be in the spotlight by the 100,000+ that audition somehow always surprises me. Along with so many of them that are SO misguided about what their 'true calling' in life is (cause it aint singing) and the wild breakdowns and flat our denial that comes with being told the truth. I think its fair to say that North america loves the stage and idolizes those that stand on it like no other time in history.

I worry sometimes as I travel and get a feel for what's going on in the church at large that this "spotlight idolatry" has infected us a bit. Far too often I discover young people (and old) who seem to use "worship leading" as an outlet for their closet desire to be rockstars. I say "seem to use" because only God knows the intentions of our hearts. But sometimes "Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks" and certainly our actions, too, reveal our hearts. Now, I do not intend to let this blog become a place to 'rant' and complain that the world it going to hell in a hand-basket. So I won't dwell here. I want to speak life instead.

As Christians we need to remember that Christ's ways are more often than not counter-culture. God's thoughts and ways are higher than ours. They are often opposite! Jesus said in Luke 22:26 "Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant." Servanthood is not intended here to be a ploy or method to get to the top either. (How often are we guilty of using Biblical methods for selfish gain!?) But a mark of true humility. We should not seek to be admired like rockstars. Instead, we are on stage to serve those we lead by truly leading them to the King. And to do so with fear and trembling at such a weighty calling!

All I am suggesting here is that as worship leaders we have to CONSTANTLY re-evaluate our own hearts to make sure we aren't USING worship of The King of Kings for personal self-gratification in any form. The anointing is on US but it is FOR HIM and Him alone.

There's a little joke that says "How many worship leaders does it take to change a light bulb?" "One. They stand there and hold the bulb and the world revolves around them" God do not let me be like that. Do not let any of us be like that. Help us remind ourselves everyday who this is about and who it's NOT about. Lest YOU have to show us more forcefully.