Maximum Vocal Performance
By Christopher Beatty
Life has undoubtedly taught you that even the best-laid plans don’t always work the way you want. But even when every piece does fall into place you can end up with a casualty if your heart isn’t properly inspired and motivated. Your heart can be the life or death of your music ministry. Only when your heart is the same as God’s heart are you protected. And that only comes by spending time with God in scripture and prayer.
Through the years, I’ve seen people with inspiration and aspiration who have spent no time on preparation. It was always clear when they shouldn’t have been ministering from the platform. I’ve also seen folks who have had a lot of training but no spiritual maturity of teaching. They definitely shouldn’t be ministering either. Those who should be ministering are those be ministering are those who have found a balance between inspiration and preparation. How do you know if you have it? How do you know if you’re ready to minister?
First, you need to honestly check your heart. What are your motives? Is God calling you to minister in this particular way or does it just feel good? Once you’ve past that test you need to take the difficult step of allowing those people in leadership over you to give their confirmation of challenge – and I’m not referring to your family and friends. You need to have the backing and support of those who can, with spiritual and technical objectivity, evaluate what you are doing. Remember that it’s inspiration plus preparation that makes the minister.
Inspired? Prepared? Or Both?
Music ministry requires much more than an emotional, sentimental, or even spiritual pull. A ministry that will bear fruit for God’s kingdom requires a thoroughly thought-out commitment, adequate vocal and spiritual preparation, unshakable integrity, a praying support team, a regular prayer life, and constant communication with the Lord and with those who can hold you accountable, not just pat you on the back.
Consider the young singer who thinks singing is a blast. Being a star with albums, big audiences and big bucks sounds great. The primary motivation here is the apparent glamour and excitement of it all. This singer will be in a hurry to sound good, sing high, and mimic the artists who are making it big. By skipping God’s “Bootcamp”, this singer has no foundation and either the message will lack depth, or personal failures will undermine the whole ministry and it will fall. A slow, step-by-step program of preparation and ongoing discipline may not sound especially exciting, but replacing proper preparation with clever marketing just doesn’t lead to significant fruit because it’s not God’s way.
Now consider the singer, young or old, who was born with an exceptional voice. He has sung since childhood, always receiving great praise and commendation. This person has never thought about seriously studying voice. Why should he? His voice has always worked – and has always worked well. Consequently, he may not have the drive or discipline to make his voice the best it can be. In time, without proper foundation, the instrument will begin to tire and fail. Athletes (vocal or other), who don’t add skill and discipline to their talent will never be their best.
There’s also the message-driven singer. Folks in this category are convinced from the tip of their toes to the top of their head that they have a life-changing message, one that was birthed in their spirit and simply has to get out. And out it will come, with or without skill. If these singers with a message can sit still long enough to study, the combination of inspiration and preparation is unbeatable. If they can’t, the message will mature, but the instrument that delivers it will wear out. It simply won’t be there for the long run.
Where are you? There are no wrong answers. But you do need to identify and acknowledge where you are right now in order to refine your direction and efforts. You might begin with a study of Colossians 3:1-17 to remind yourself who you are in Christ. With that foundation it’s easier to hear His matching orders for the future.
AIRplay or HEARTplay?
One way to determine the “why of it all” behind your interest in a music ministry is to spend time honestly thinking about the following questions: Are you striving primarily for AIRplay or HEARTplay? Which is the most important to you?
First of all, know that one does not necessarily follow the other. Some of the finest songs ever written and performed will never reach the charts because they aren’t presented at the right place at the right time. The same goes for singers. If singers aren’t marketable in given social climate, they may never sign a major recording contract. That fact, however, has little to do with the legitimacy or effectiveness of their ministry. Nowhere does the Bible state that a recording contract or nationwide airplay is to be the goal of measure of the Christian musician. The goal is to minister life, freedom, and transformation to the world at whatever level and in whatever situation you may find yourself.
“To Whom Much is Given…”
Jesus said, “Everyone to whom much is given, of him will much be required” (Luke 12:48), and the demands of the music ministry can bring into sharp focus the truth of this teaching. The more talented you are, the greater the temptation to minister for airplay rather than heartplay. In fact, the more talented you are, the more integrity you need in order to survive the temptations the world offers. At the beginning, your intentions may be pure and your love for the Lord strong, but a weak character or a ministry undertaken without proper accountability and prayer support can mean failure of your ministry and, even more importantly, the breakdown of your relationship with Jesus.
Let me remind you again that the only way to be a functioning Christian is to have a relationship with Lord Jesus Christ, to have recognized Him as the Son of God, and to be walking with Him as Lord of your life. Don’t be misled – you can’t skip that last step.
At the same time, the only way to become a musician is to know something about music. True, you can learn much through trial and error, and many singers and musicians do so. But that kind of haphazard effort rarely accomplishes the same as disciplined study with a qualified vocal coach. As a result, music ministers who really learn to use music well are few and far between. In fact, more and more, we are seeing that today’s successful and most popular performers in every musical style are studied, trained singers. We’re right back to where we were earlier in this minister.
One Last Word
So what is God calling you to do for this season? Is this a time to plant, to gain vocal skills and spiritual strength, or is this a time to reap the skills that you’ve long been sowing? Is this a time for you to keep silent and prepare for ministry, or is this a time for you to speak out for the Lord?
I encourage you to move carefully, listening closely for God’s guidance each step of the way. Being a self-taught ministry burnout may give you a dramatic testimony, but God would rather have you be a flame for His kingdom for a long time. A person who has submitted to the molding of the Potter’s hands, who has walked consistently with Jesus and learned much along the way, who has come to see people through the loving and compassionate eyes of valuable to the work of the Lord than the flame that burned brightly but all too briefly.
Praise God for the gift of your voice! Praise God for a heart that wants to serve Him! And praise Him that He always hears and responds to His child who cries, “Here am I! Send me!” (Isa. 6:8). May God bless you with a rich and fruitful ministry for Him.
