Taking the steps

Yesterday, my pastor had a great message. It was about learning God's secrets. While secrets and mysteries can be used synonymously, they actually denote two different things.
Secrets are things we know that someone else doesn't know, but can (and usually are) shared. Mysteries are puzzles we have to figure out. Neither secrets or mysteries are impossible, they can be figured out.
Within this sermon, my pastor pointed out that there are steps to determining the answers to God's secrets and mysteries and that they are available to us all. That got me to thinking-what are the secrets of success in Southern Gospel? There are those who will say being in the right place at the right time is the secret to success in this industry, but I have to disagree. If you haven't followed the steps, it doesn't matter whether you are in the right place at the right time or not because you don't have the firm foundation that helps reveal what God has already given.

God's secrets are already revealed. They are revealed to those who believe. His mysteries are another matter. He reveals those as we are ready and prepared for them, and some will not be revealed until we are with Him.
Many people ask about the secret to success in SG. The first thing to realize is what that person's definition of success is. If you are thinking of success in terms of monetary rewards or material things, forget it. If you are in it to count the number of souls saved from your singing, then you are focused on the wrong thing there too. I will explain that statement in a minute. While that can happen, it should not be the measure of success in this industry. That isn't only because of the way the industry is structured but also because it puts the focus in the wrong place.

While there are stories about SG singers who were saved after they had been singing for 20 years, they are actually just a small part of the entire SG community. Real success comes from a firm foundation in the Lord and obedience to God. There are many great singers and groups out there who are never heard of because that wasn't the direction the Lord took them. There are many who may be known within the industry and are well-respected but the general public doesn't know who they are. Does that mean they aren't successful? Absolutely not, because they are obedient to the place the Lord has put them to make the most impact, and only want to be obedient to the Lord's calling on their lives.

I said I would explain the reference to those who count the number of souls saved. Think about it. While it makes us feel good to say "We sang at (fill in the blank) and (number here) came forward and rededicated or were saved. That makes (number here) that have been saved thru my ministry." Well, where is the focus of the ministry at this point? On the results of what that singer or group has done. While many excuses are used for putting out (I call it bragging) this information, the underlying idea is "Look what I have done" as if the Lord had nothing to do with it. Sorry, folks, you are the vessel (if you are obedient to His calling) He does the work! Give Him the glory and take no credit for yourself. To say "the Lord allowed me to witness" is a much better attitude and a truer statement. Our group has been involved in two or three things where a massive number of people came forward and all we could do is cry tears of joy. The feeling that comes from simply being used by the Lord to impact people for Him is amazing because I just don't see why He would use any of us. But He does.

To be available to be used by the Lord takes some work. It doesn't just happen. You have to follow the steps. I have already given the only two steps you really need. Yes there are alot of little steps that are industry specific within those two, but these two steps are essential for life.

1. Build a firm foundation. Is the foundation of your group or solo ministry in the Lord? Do you study His word? Do you spend alot of time in prayer? Do you praise Him, even when the results aren't what you expected or planned for? Do you trust Him with every fiber of your being? These are essential things to build a good ministry. If you aren't firmly built on Him as the foundation of your personal life, your ministry is not firmly planted on Him as the foundation of it as well.
Specific to SG, have you built a musical foundation of practice and training? Has God given you the ability to do what you feel called to do? I love to sing, but instead of time to practice and train, the Lord gave me five kids. I have spent a lot of my adult life changing diapers, running to football practices, school events, Special Olympics and the like. Time to practice and train wasn't available. But I love music, I have a heart for music and understand it. If only I had the time to practice and train. But, the Lord didn't give me the ability. Now we come to the crux of the matter. No ability makes the practice and train thing a moot point. Some people were not given that ability. Does that mean I have to give up on the calling I feel to be a part of music? No. I found other venues that are just as important. I do our groups website, I keep the schedule book, I run the sound at most of our events, and I am able to interact with people and encourage them thru this. Most importantly, I support my husband because God gave him the ability.
So to sum up this step-First get the foundation built. Build your personal foundation on the Word of God and time with God. Then build your ministry foundation with ability, practice, and training. And don't forget to learn. Learn about the industry and the little details of what is expected of you at different venues. Communicate with the audience members, try to get a sense of their need.

There is only one other step, really.
2. Obedience. Are you obedient to the Lord in your personal life? This can cover so many aspects I won't go into them all. But you know what they are-tithe, church attendance, prayer, Bible reading, etc., etc. If you are obedient to the Lord personally, then your ministry will be blessed because you will be obedient to Him there as well.
In SG, obedience to the Lord may mean going to that church of 30 people and singing for no money. It could mean putting aside denominational and racial bias and going to a church where you think you have nothing in common with the members. It may mean flying halfway around the world and learning a foreign language so that you can take the gospel message there. The Lord expects you to think things thru carefully by all means, but if He insists you must be obedient and go. Being obedient to the Lord is an amazing thing. The blessings that come from the people you meet always make the inconvenience worth it.
Yes, obedience to the Lord can be inconvenient. I love my church, but lately, because of our group schedule I feel like a stranger there. It is inconvenient to stay in a hotel when you are a homebody like me, it is inconvenient to get up at 4 am on a Saturday or Sunday morning when you got to bed at midnight the night before. But it isn't about convenience, it is about obedience. If you are called, inconvenience becomes a blessing, no matter how tired you are.

So to sum this step up-be obedient to the Lord. Obedience in your personal life is essential to obedience in your ministry. If you aren't used to being obedient personally, obedience in ministry is much harder to come by. It will be easier to say, "Lord, that just doesn't work for me" and then you have allowed sin to enter your ministry.

This past week, the Lord has made it clear to our group that He intends on sending us farther than we thought we would ever go. The interesting thing is that it is in the opposite direction of where we thought it would be if we did expand. The saying "Go west, young man" is very appropriate in this. Since the expenses of our group are paid by the people who choose to give love offerings and who choose to buy product, we don't have a clue how this will be funded. That doesn't mean we won't go. In fact, it is the exact opposite. We know and have learned that when He tells us to do something, He has always provided the way. That way may not be the way we expect, or the accomodations we expect (do you know how many "quaint" hotels there are in the world?) but our needs for what He calls us to do will be met.