As we look ahead to a new year we're either excited because things are going great or we're just so ready for the current year to be over! I'm not sure where you are as we close out the year but it is coming to an end! I'm not sure what grade you would give yourself for the past year but I'm not going to tell you to strive for the A+'s of life...in fact I'm going to tell you that 3 'C's ' will give you a fabulous year!
So what are they? Courage, Compassion and Community...let's break 'em down and start with the first 'c'---courage.
I think so many times as believers we're... well kind of wimps! We know what we should do but we let fears slow us down, distract us or downright stop us. My prayer for you this coming year is to have more courage. There will always be obstacles. There will always be challenges. You will always have things pulling for your time, your energy and your money. So where are you going to put your treasures? Most of us discount the value of time and elevate the value of money...your most important commodity is your time. And guess what, you and I really do find ways to do what we really want to do!
I know...you've got responsibilities to those you love and your job and your church but you also have a responsibility to use those gifts He's given you to impact the world! Those gifts inside you are not only given to fulfill you and bless you...but you have those unique ministry expressions to equip you to uniquely impact. Nobody is you...just you. You are creative like nobody else on the planet. You have life experiences and experiences with Jesus that nobody else has. You have songs, a testimony and many other ministry expressions inside you but you must have courage to look at and look for them. When was the last time you stopped and pondered to appreciate the unique package you really are? I think when you do this, that creative mind is going to come up with all kinds of ways you can bless the world. Jot them down, pray over them and believe God to reveal something incredibly powerful to you that He already knows about you! It will take a boat load of courage to stop and evaluate how you can reconfigure you life to do what you really want to do but you know what? I know you can do it...just have courage.
Okay, ready for the next 'c'----compassion.
This one is compassion and typically we think of having compassion toward others. But you know what? You cannot have compassion toward others if you are not compassionate toward yourself. Artists are in particular so harsh with themselves. I'm forever telling my artists, 'be kind to the artist within you.' As a manager I think a lot of people think I would need to be direct and possibly harsh at points but most of the time I'm cleaning up the 'bloody' mess the artist has created not outside themselves but to themselves. A bloody artist is not a great image but I'm pretty sure as an artist you've been there and might very well be bleeding as you listen to me. Those whispers in your ear that you're not good enough, that nobody will like what you have, or you simply YOU are just not good enough are lies out of the pit of hell. You need to have courage to be compassionate toward yourself. You're a work in process. You're practicing. There is no perfection on the earth. Sure we try and sometimes we do better then other times but striving for a state of perfection is one of the most cruel things you can do to yourself. You're going to fail. As you round another year choose to speak blessings over yourself because you know what? Then you'll find yourself speaking blessings over others. This is not some weird teaching is just simple scripture...remember that proverb, as a man thinketh so he is? Well, you can change the way you think. It's your choice to speak a blessing or a curse but it will take courage and compassion and lot's of practice.
Alright my final 'c'---- community.
At Incubator we always say you need to be in a home church or fellowship where you are a nobody. When you're around a group of people all the time they know you and keep you grounded. Sure, the church is fraught with issues...I've been part of the church my entire life and I've seen some of the craziest things but hey the church is made up of people like you and I so should we expect anything else? LOL When it comes to artists who have a passion for creativity I think community is even more necessary. Now I'm not talking about forums and groups where you just banter stuff and people with little or no experience throw out advice and nobody is really responsible for what is said let alone measuring the end result of their advice. After 24 years serving artists I'm pretty biased but at Incubator we are serious about YOU...and that means every part of your life. You're more then your music or your writing or or or... We always have artists saying how Incubator is a family minus the dysfunction. We're all about honesty, transparency and vulnerability but we all know you need a safe and nurturing environment for that to even be a possibility. And that's why we're committed to healthy community. We model and require safe communication. The more we know you the better job we help you develop and expand your ministry. We're sticklers for accountability, objectivity and connectivity. Real community dares to have the tough conversations. But that requires courage on the part of both parties and it requires compassion!
So healthy community really cannot happen without a couple of those other 'c's... Healthy community takes commitment, consistency and believing the best in the other guy...oops more compassion needed there!
So Happy New Year to you and if I could I want to speak a blessing over you!
Lord I pray for the person listening to this modest recording. May you give them a vision so big you must continue to turn up! I pray you will give them courage to look at all you've created them to be and how your creation can bless the multitudes. I ask for you to abundantly poor out compassion and give the person the ability to look at all those areas of their life where they have disqualified themselves with compassion. I pray for the ability to receive grace and forgiveness. What the enemy has meant for evil we know you have the fabulous power to turn to good! So I ask that you speak grace over every memory or thought that would interfere with this person moving forward with the call you've placed on their life, like no other person on the planet. And finally I pray you would bless this person with people who are safe, encouraging, well grounded and wise. I pray they will also be a safe place for honest and transparent conversation which is ministry at it's finest.
So tell yourself a life report of C's for this new year is going to be life changing...something to think about!
