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S04E087, Accepting things is a good thing! Andy B 2 Minute Video
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When people say well done, do you try and deflect that compliment? I know this is something I’ve always struggled with!
I’ve led worship for more than 3 decades. Ever since the age of 11 I’ve been part of the worship group in a church, leading worship to children, or adults, or both. By the age of 15 I was leading worship in a church of 350 to 400 people, and a worship group behind me of perhaps 10 or more people on occasion - frequently either older, or more experienced, than I was.
People would frequently come up to me after the service and say how good it had been. Sometimes they were thanking the worship group, through me, which I quickly passed on to the others who had been involved in that service. But, it was always easier for me to deflect that thanks – when it was given to me personally, rather than the group as a whole – and say it was because of the musicians behind me or it was all down to God. Simply taking that encouragement was something I struggled with, badly! But there are a few fundamental problems with this approach.
When we say it was others, or God, that deserve any praise, then we’re also, additionally, - albeit perhaps unintentionally and inadvertently - blaming them for everything that was also not so good.
Work with me here, because it’s worth it, I promise!
Someone says ‘Thanks, that was great’. You respond by saying ‘It was all God’.
Someone says [of the same thing] ‘That was awful’ You respond with ‘It was all God.’
We’d never say the latter! But we say it every time we don’t let somebody simply praise us for something. Because, when we deflect thanks and praise, we both risk offending the messenger, as well as not taking responsibility for all that we were doing, both the good and the bad.
God gives us gifts. If you have a gift of leading worship as I do, it is only because of the breath He has put in your lungs. Sure, we can be skilled and talented, but gifts like the one the Holy Spirit gave me, do take it up a notch from what you can humanly do.
Chris Eaton, a well known British Christian songwriter, regularly received songs from people that ‘the Lord had given them’. He threw pretty much all of them in the bin because, as he said, it was obvious the Lord had gotten rid of them because they were so truly awful!
Let’s not shoot the messenger when they simply want to say thank you. But let’s not blame others for the good that God has put inside of us.
God deserves all the glory. Absolutely! But He also hand made us to be amazing creations capable of some amazing things, so don’t just dismiss praise and thanks, but accept it, humbly. We’re made in His image, and He can do some amazing things. But, then, so can you!
Just a thought…
Andy B
Support the show
Keep in Touch with the BerryBunch
www.berrybunch.org
Support Us Online
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By Andy BSend us a text
When people say well done, do you try and deflect that compliment? I know this is something I’ve always struggled with!
I’ve led worship for more than 3 decades. Ever since the age of 11 I’ve been part of the worship group in a church, leading worship to children, or adults, or both. By the age of 15 I was leading worship in a church of 350 to 400 people, and a worship group behind me of perhaps 10 or more people on occasion - frequently either older, or more experienced, than I was.
People would frequently come up to me after the service and say how good it had been. Sometimes they were thanking the worship group, through me, which I quickly passed on to the others who had been involved in that service. But, it was always easier for me to deflect that thanks – when it was given to me personally, rather than the group as a whole – and say it was because of the musicians behind me or it was all down to God. Simply taking that encouragement was something I struggled with, badly! But there are a few fundamental problems with this approach.
When we say it was others, or God, that deserve any praise, then we’re also, additionally, - albeit perhaps unintentionally and inadvertently - blaming them for everything that was also not so good.
Work with me here, because it’s worth it, I promise!
Someone says ‘Thanks, that was great’. You respond by saying ‘It was all God’.
Someone says [of the same thing] ‘That was awful’ You respond with ‘It was all God.’
We’d never say the latter! But we say it every time we don’t let somebody simply praise us for something. Because, when we deflect thanks and praise, we both risk offending the messenger, as well as not taking responsibility for all that we were doing, both the good and the bad.
God gives us gifts. If you have a gift of leading worship as I do, it is only because of the breath He has put in your lungs. Sure, we can be skilled and talented, but gifts like the one the Holy Spirit gave me, do take it up a notch from what you can humanly do.
Chris Eaton, a well known British Christian songwriter, regularly received songs from people that ‘the Lord had given them’. He threw pretty much all of them in the bin because, as he said, it was obvious the Lord had gotten rid of them because they were so truly awful!
Let’s not shoot the messenger when they simply want to say thank you. But let’s not blame others for the good that God has put inside of us.
God deserves all the glory. Absolutely! But He also hand made us to be amazing creations capable of some amazing things, so don’t just dismiss praise and thanks, but accept it, humbly. We’re made in His image, and He can do some amazing things. But, then, so can you!
Just a thought…
Andy B
Support the show
Keep in Touch with the BerryBunch
www.berrybunch.org
Support Us Online
www.berrybunch.org/supportus