One of the great challenges in life is change. This can vary from learning the new features on your smart phone, to adapting to new styles of music and to seeing your children as adults and parents, not just your kids.
Music in church has changed significantly since I started doing it full-time in the 70’s. When I started there was no ‘Praise and Worship’ movement. For me, it has been fun to change my musical styles as music has changed. I started out as a sax player who played in the band, to a choir and orchestra conductor, to a piano player who led worship and now I mostly lead worship on guitar.
Some people don’t like change. Personally, I like to grow and change. It keeps life fresh and interesting. I love to learn new music. I love to learn new skills and instruments. I love to travel to new places. I love to meet new people.
I don’t want to change just for change sake. There are certain things in my life that will never change. Things like, my trust and love for God, my respect and devotion for the Bible, my vow of marriage to my wife. But in other areas, change can be good.
I loved it when I stopped scoring music by hand and changed to writing music on the computer. I love the change from leading worship on piano to leading on acoustic guitar. One instrument is not better than the other, but leading on acoustic just works better for today’s music.
I love that God changes us and we become new creations. I also appreciate that God changes us through the trials and tests that we go through. I love that we change as we grow in the Lord and become more and more like Him. I am glad that God loves us too much to let us stay the same.
Question: Are you adaptable and changeable? Are you growing in the Lord? Are you better this year then you were last year? Musicians, are you growing and adapting?
My favorite Bible verses on change:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. ~ II Corinthians 5:17
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ~ I John 1:9
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven. ~ Ecclesiastes 3:1
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. ~ James 1:17
And He who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” ~ Revelations 21:5
Great is God’s faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning. ~ Lamentations 3:23
Check out my new book.. “Leading Worship ~ Notes from a Grand Adventure’ available in Kindle or Soft Cover Editions. This is a great gift for the musician or worshipper in your life.
