If you think about it, we spend less than 5 hours a week leading others in corporate worship. This amount can vary depending on if you are a full-time Worship Leader, paid musician, or a volunteer vocalist or instrumentalist. No matter who you lead, you have been trusted to lead faithfully and that does not end when you step off the stage, it’s just the beginning.
So what are we supposed to do with the multitude of hours when we are not on a stage? Basically, how do we lead when we are not leading?!
BE IN THE WORD & PRAYER
Always remember that God cares first and foremost about your heart. So it is important to note that our walk with Christ will always be put at the forefront of any type of service or encouragement we could offer.
Questions you can ask yourself to see if you have prioritized being in the Word & Prayer:
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- Do I have a regular rhythm of time in the Word?
- What does my prayer life look like?
- When is the last time I memorized scripture by heart?
- What have I learned about the character of God from intimate time with Him in the past few days?
PREPARE WELL
God says through Paul in Colossians 3:16 to “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” From this passage, we can see how important worship is for the teaching and growth of the Body of Christ! So let us make it count! The preparation that goes in during the week heavily affects how those few hours of worship will play out.
Here are some questions you can ask to see if you have prepared well:
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- Have I met with the Lord intimately this week, through my time in scripture and prayer?
- Have I experienced the Lord in my own time of worship through songs I will be leading?
- Have I memorized all the lyrics?
- Do I know what harmony I am going to sing where?
BE AN EXAMPLE
Even though you might not be on a stage, that does not mean that you are out of sight. Quite the contrary. Since you have been given a leadership position, others automatically recognize you in the congregation, grocery store, lecture hall or basically anywhere in the community. How you conduct yourself can easily represent Christ or equally hurt the cause of Christ. The apostle Peter declares in 1 Peter 2:6 that “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” God has chosen you to represent HIM, but in what manner are you doing so?
Here are a few questions to go by to hold yourself accountable:
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- Am I the same person on stage as I am off-stage?
- Is my worship the same off-stage as it is on stage?
- Does my social media presence glorify God? Why or why not?
- Do I see myself as a representative of Christ? Why or why not?