Can God Use Me?

As a worship pastor, I am always talking to people about serving in various positions of the music ministry. The most typical response I get is "I'll pray about that." A close second is some variation of "I don't have the ability to do that." Doubting our own abilities is a normal thing, but it should not be the reason that we fail to serve God.

Why do we doubt? Well, with shows like American Idol and The Voice; with instant access to media through iTunes, Pandora, Spotify, and YouTube, just to name a few; and with Mega-churches broadcasting their services; it isn't hard to see why the average musician is hesitant to put himself in the spotlight. Our nation has transitioned from a culture where everyone is a winner, even little Johnny who can't carry a tune in the proverbial bucket, to a nation obsessed with only the best of the best.

I am discouraged by the increasing desire by many church leaders to use only the best talent. These leaders see what Big-Church-Down-the-Road is doing and insist that this is what needs to happen in their church. They don't consider that Big-Church has a much larger pool of musicians to choose from or that they have a much larger budget for bringing in that talent. And the attitude of these leaders seeps down into the very fabric of the church. The members notice that only the best of the best ever get a chance to do anything. What musical snobbery, not to mention that it goes against everything that Jesus showed us when He chose simple men with limited talents to follow Him as His disciples. And it is not just the leaders demanding excellent talent. Listen to how the congregation responds to one of the better performers with thunderous applause, and yet, when a meager talent performs they only give a token applause.

This fall I will have been serving as a paid minister in the music ministry in one fashion or another for thirty-two years. God called me to serve Him, even though I am not the most talented musician. I am an average trumpet player, I am a lousy pianist, I barely know four chords on the guitar, I can't even manage to play one rhythmic pattern on a drum set, and I am an average singer, teacher and writer. But God has used me to work alongside some excellent musicians as well as those with average and even poor talent.

I have had to opportunity to train children, youth, and adults through choirs, bands, drama groups, etc. and watch their talent excel, often beyond my own abilities. I have worked with musicians that know far more than I will ever know, instrumentalists that can play rings around me, and vocalists that have the sound of an angel and seem to connect with the audience every time they sing. I have also worked alongside those who will never be great musicians, yet they are serving God nonetheless.

In my thirty-two years of ministry God has allowed me to travel with a band all across the United States, Canada, and the Bahamas. I have sung in back-up choirs for Michael W. Smith, David Phelps, Marcia Ware, and others. I have met and built friendships with some of the great Christian performers and writers. I have written and published more than a dozen articles, skits, and hymns. I have written and directed Broadway-style musicals. I have written and directed television commercials. I have even been in several television commercials, including one for Walmart that was broadcast all across the country.

God has used me, someone of average talent, to reach tens of thousands of people with His message through musicals, cantatas, concerts, and more. I have led dozens of various musical groups, including bells, orchestras, choirs, choreography, and community choirs. I have also taught hundreds of bible studies. I have served on statewide counsels and committees, I have led associational conferences, and I have designed and directed statewide training sessions in Texas, Florida, and Maryland.

All of this, I have done not because of my own abilities, but because of God's abilities. When God calls you to serve in some ministry, never doubt His ability to help you succeed. Perhaps trusting God is what I do best, and, perhaps, if God had given me great skills and talent in music I would not trust Him as much as I do.

Are you serving God? If not, talk to one of the pastor's at your church and get busy using your talents to honor God. There is a place for everyone in the church.