Robyn - Hyper-Ballad

Genuine Creative Thinking

Let England Shake

The Daily Mail

God Will Raise You Up (So Relax)

"God will raise me up."*

Easy to understand, but it can be much harder to believe.

I hope I'm not the only person who has an internal dialogue in my head about where I am, where I could be, where I perhaps 'should' be and, of course where God wants me to be. All in relation to the measure of my influence, responsibility and progress.

Nope? Just me.

And time and again I want to help God out. Hurry things on a bit. Just to give Him a little hand making my influence larger and my responsibility greater and my progress faster. He is quite busy after all.

So it's east for me to end up shrouding self promotion in more appealing ways: 'We are blessing/resourcing/equipping/encouraging the church' - rather than 'flogging our latest song/CD/book/ministry'

But the more I think about what will really bless, resource, equip and encourage our churches, I have one conclusion: More of Him, more of the Spirit.

Books, CD's, Songs and ministries help. But only if they are full of Him and only if they point undeniably towards Him.

So when we feel like giving God a little hand raising up our products, efforts and ministries we can maybe think twice.... because....

The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. (1 Thess 5:24)

If I am called, really called, to lead worship for the thousands and write songs for the millions then 'He will do it'. It doesn't matter what I facebook or tweet or blog. It doesn't matter what marketing strategy I put in place. It doesn't matter what network I foster.

He is faithful and He will do it.

And He will do it in his timing.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. (1 Peter 5:6)

Check out Kim Walker-Smith from Jesus Culture talking about Self Promotion, amongst other things:

I'm with her on this. I've never asked to lead worship at anything. I've never sent an unsolicited demo of my songs to anyone. And yet I've still managed to lead worship at some cool stuff and had a bunch of my songs published and used.

So the first question is this:

'What do I most want?'

Is what I want whatever God has for me, no matter how it ends up looking (all of which will be good, and fulfilling and utterly satisfying)? Or is what I want influence, responsibility, fame, success, money, status, recognition or a whole manner of other temporary and fleeting satisfactions?

And if I can answer yes to the former, the second question is this:

'Can I wait for it?'

Can I stick out the months and years of not having what I want yet, or even deserve, because God's timing is perfect? I know I can. But I have to choose it. Again and again.

God will raise me up, of that I can be certain, so I can just... relax and enjoy the ride.

dg

*This is a follow up to a post from November - 'Self promotion - Good, Bad or Ugly?' . Which if you read that may help you understand this post a bit better.

Thom Yorke - Give Up The Ghost

Oh Lord, You're Beautiful

St. Vincent - Marrow

Nick Griffin on Question time (an Alt. Version)

Four Tet & Steve Reid

Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks

Bjork - Unravel

The Rise and Fall of the TV Journalist

Sonnet 20 - William Shakespeare

A woman's face with Nature's own hand painted
Hast thou, the master-mistress of my passion;
A woman's gentle heart, but not acquainted
With shifting change, as is false women's fashion;
An eye more bright than theirs, less false in rolling,
Gilding the object whereupon it gazeth;
A man in hue, all 'hues' in his controlling,
Much steals men's eyes and women's souls amazeth.
And for a woman wert thou first created;
Till Nature, as she wrought thee, fell a-doting,
And by addition me of thee defeated,
By adding one thing to my purpose nothing.
But since she prick'd thee out for women's pleasure,
Mine be thy love and thy love's use their treasure.

The Only Comprehensible Reason to Endure 'Moulin Rouge'

Billie Jean

Bat For Lashes - on KCRW

From the awesome 'Morning Becomes Eclectic' show...

Department of Eagles - 'In Ear Park' and 'No One Does It Like You'

Scamalot

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	M - Th 11p / 10c
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Deerhoof - The Perfect Me