As worship leaders, is it sometimes hard for you to surrender your will not only to God’s will, but also to your earthly leaders? In your role as a worship leader, we are often times leading from the second chair, not the one making the final decisions, but called to follow the directions of our leaders.

Having a heart of surrender to those in authority is not always easy. With God’s help, we can learn how to not always be seeking the glory of a win, but to give away the win to those around us.

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Give Someone Else the Win

The heart of a worship leader is a heart of surrender. Similar to selflessness, but surrender is a decision we make when faced with the choice of our way or God’s way.

God’s way can be presented either directly through Him speaking to us, but more often through what our leaders ask. The heart of surrender doesn’t just wait until faced with that choice, it pursues the direction that will lead to our leader’s request being the only way ahead.Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the people of Ammon, and took the royal city. And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, “I have fought against Rabbah, and I have taken the city’s water supply. Now therefore, gather the rest of the people together and encamp against the city and take it, lest I take the city and it be called after my name.” So David gathered all the people together and went to Rabbah, fought against it, and took it. Then he took their king’s crown from his head.

Its weight was a talent of gold, with precious stones. And it was set on David’s head. Also he brought out the spoil of the city in great abundance. And he brought out the people who were in it, and put them to work with saws and iron picks and iron axes, and made them cross over to the brick works. So he did to all the cities of the people of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem. 2 Samuel 12:26-31, NKJV

David Needed The Win

Joab was commander of David’s army – he was trusted, had many people serving under him, was skilled and experienced, had a mind of his own and his own way of doing things. Here he had the opportunity to claim a win for himself, but it was more important to him that David be the one credited with that win. He understood that David was not just his ‘boss’, he represented Israel to the nations of the world; his reputation as king and leader affected how everyone viewed Israel.

It was more important to Joab that David looked strong and effective as king than he did as commander of the army. It was more important to him that David be seen being the one winning victories than himself. He realised that his authority as a leader came from David’s kingship, not his own credibility or skill.

He also carried no insecurity about his own position or how the men that served underneath him perceived him.  [ctt template=”6″ link=”7Pl1I” via=”no” ] The heart of a worship leader is a heart of surrender.[/ctt]  

Pride vs. Surrender

Pride would have said, “This win is mine, I did the work, I deserve to be acknowledged and praised for it.” Instead, Joab pursued a course of action that put the win for him completely out of reach and entirely in David’s hands. Those who try to hold on to their lives will give up true life.

Those who give up their lives for me will hold on to true life. Matthew 10:39, NCV Whenever we try to hold onto a scrap of credit, we end up losing a piece of who we really are. To lose our life is not to lose our identity, as our identity is in Christ.

We don’t lose our personality or our skills or experience, but everything we are becomes grounded upon an unshakeable foundation of Christ being first in all things in our life. Being surrendered does not make us weak or timid or quiet – Joab was bold and courageous to go up against a city and lead his army in it.

We don’t stop being who we are, but the source from which we draw our personality changes from being our own strength to God’s strength. This stops insecurity, fear, doubt, jealousy – all things that will tarnish our leadership.


[ctt template=”1″ link=”VN9ym” via=”no” ]The heart of a worship leader is a heart of surrender. @MattLockwood @WorshipTTU @BranonDempsey WTTU.co/matt[/ctt]

Matt’s Testimony

When I first started in worship teams, I was in a Baptist Church in Devon (I was about 18). We were preparing for a mid-week night of worship, and the worship leader had chosen songs, some of which were a bit old and done – that’s what a lot of us thought, anyway – and so we complained about it, myself quite vigorously and spitefully. The worship leader stayed calm and said that these were the songs he felt God saying to use. We broke off from rehearsal, and I wandered off, and got on my knees, and felt very clearly God say to me, “What do you think you’re doing, how dare you? Who do you think you are?”

I didn’t ‘hear’ anything else but I knew that not only were the things I said hurtful and wrong, it was also not my place to have even questioned the song choice. I could have pressed on with my own opinion, but I knew that wouldn’t be right, and I just surrendered there and repented. Then I got up and apologised to the team leader, and said, “Whatever you want to do, I’m with you.”

Something changed in me that night, and I still feel the effect of it now. I still have very strong opinions over song choice, etc., but I’ve learned firstly that there is an appropriate way to discuss these things with your leaders, but also that whatever is decided I will serve that choice and that leader wholeheartedly, and enable them to have the win. [ctt template=”6″ link=”7Pl1I” via=”no” ] Serve your leader wholeheartedly, and let them have the win.[/ctt]

Surrender

Surrender is not the same as compromise. Compromise is something you do to keep a token of peace. Surrender is your choice to give others the win.  Taken from Worship Devotions, by Matt Lockwood Published by Great Big Life Publishing, 2017, ISBN 9780995792524, worshipteam101.com

@mattlockwood @BranonDempsey @worshiptt @WorshipTTU

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