Keep On Keepin On

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Heb 10:23-25 (NIV)

It happens to every team and every Worship Leader and/or Pastor. We must deal with someone on the team that falls away for one reason or another. Whether it is a family matter, job situation, just tired of the responsibilities of the team or sin, it is our job to encourage the saints, which also including those in our department.

There have been many times when I wanted to throw in the towel and I have voiced that I was quitting. Only to find that I was back at work the next day. I have to admit and openly confess that people get on my nerves. Leading a team of artistic temperaments is a “high and holy calling”. I have thought often of giving up leadership and becoming a “bench member”.

I remember distinctly one Sunday morning as the team was warming up and doing a sound check. I had run into a series of bumps in the road trying to get to the start of the service. People were late, nothing was working from the sound board etc. I was sick and tired of the usual “ I can’t hear myself in the monitor” “Can you turn me up in the house” comments. It seemed to be the same Sunday after Wednesday after every service. I could not take it anymore I had a build up and the temperaments had finally gotten to me. I could not pray for the service or the team. I found a couple of elders and asked them to step in and pray. Just as we started to pray my Pastor came through the door and I asked him to pray for me. The peace of God prevailed. – AMEN!

After praying I knew that God was in control and I was ready to worship. I was so ready to worship at the throne of God I wasn’t aware of anyone else that was there with me. We had an awesome time of worship that day. It is in times like these that I remember that my strength comes when I am bowing down before Him. A few years ago I made a heart convenant to worship God no matter what and that praise will always be on my tongue. But for some reason I needed to be reminded to be not weary in well doing, an encouraging word that my Pastor gave to me during our prayer time.

Life is a trip that sometimes and you want to quit and in our own strength we would. But we gain our strength from the Lord, Nehemiah 8:10 says that the joy of the Lord will be our strength. Strength comes also through His word and we need to keep the word coming in our hearts so that we can pull something out when the going gets rough. We need to hide the word in our hearts so that we will not sin against the Lord (Ps. 199:11) For His word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. (Ps.119: 105)

It’s not easy walking the walk and living the life is a true test of where your loyalties are. It is a true test of who you worship. We need to put each other in remembrance of what the word of God says. Who knows it may be the only word they can stand on.

We need to encourage our team members to “Keep on keepin on”; we need to remind them that there is a hope. You may think that you know each and everyone well on your team. But when the tests, come you will see what they are made of. You will see how much word is in there to hold on to.

I will be the first to admit that I have not always passed the tests with flying colors, I’m a crybaby and can be a real whiner. But when I hear the word or someone reminds me of the word I am strengthened and I can go on.

Of course we as worship leader never have any challenges when it comes to our devotion time and reading our Bibles. But perhaps someone on our team my need the advice, just pass the information on. I believe that is what Heb.10: 23-25 is in the bible for to remind us and to remind us to remind others. Just when you think you have it all together you find that you have fallen short, missed the mark, “didn’t have enough change to pay the man”

Just as the writer in Hebrews exhorts us to persevere so do I. Jesus is coming back soon and we have work to do. Stay close to the fire and stay warm and bring other to the light so that they can get warm too. Let’s keep the Word of God strong inside of us so that when others need a word of encouragement – we have a word of grace for the hearer.