YOUTH WORSHIP TEAM
PERFECT OR EXCELLENT? | Vance & Michelle Shepherd
At a recent worship event, one of our vocalists
was distraught to the point of tears about not
being able to hit a note exactly like she wanted
to. I walked by the restroom after our sound
check and run thru, and could hear her crying.
Her mom was trying to console and encourage
her, but it wasn’t working. I knocked on the
door, asked if I could come in, and I could
see that she was distraught about it, beating
herself up to the point that there was no joy
in her singing and leading worship. Using her
voice to worship God was actually turning into
something negative, something humiliating
and stressful to her, and she was not able to
worship with the freedom she had experienced
before. To see her so upset made me really
upset, because I knew where her head was at,
and I wanted to do whatever I could to get her
to see it for what it really was. It’s something
that every singer or musician has to face down
at some point. I had a serious heart to heart
talk with her, and explained to her that what she
was feeling was anxiety, stress and depression
from trying to be “perfect”. It’s a sly tool that
the enemy uses to render us ineffective in our
worship. And as vocalists, we go through so
many emotions, continually battling the idea of
perfection, of not being good enough. Singing
is a vulnerable and emotional thing, and we can
negatively spin out of control if we don’t have a
healthy grasp of why we’re doing it, and Who
we’re doing it for.
I believe that trying to attain perfection is
the enemy of excellence in worship, and
here’s why… when we are focused on being
technically perfect, the focus turns inward, it’s
on ourselves, and our own capability (or lack
of). Perfectionism is a bottomless pit. Our brain
says, “I’m never good enough” or, “Everybody
will see me as flawed if I don’t do this perfectly”
or, “I only feel good about myself if I meet my
own standard of perfection”. Perfectionists are
always disappointed in themselves, and can
become paralyzed by fear.
1 Corinthians 10:31 says this, “So whether you
eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the
glory of God”.
Striving for excellence demonstrates that you
have a good work ethic, strength of character,
and integrity in what you do. Perfectionism,
on the other hand, sets standards that are so
high they either can’t be attained, or only with
great difficulty. Perfectionists tend to believe
that anything short of perfection is horrible, that
even minor imperfections lead to catastrophe.
Over time, you might even start to believe that
you’re not as capable as others, so you should
just give up. And that’s why we have to stay
mindful of why we do what we do, and Who
we do it for.
A FEW HELPFUL THINGS IN THIS BATTLE OF THE
MIND AND HEART
Realize that perfectionism is the enemy of joy.
When you feel the need to be perfect rise within
you, take a moment. Remind yourself of why
you have chosen not to see your efforts in this
way. Know that if you work hard at something,
invest your heart and your passion and your
mind, your outcome will be great.
If you make a mistake, be okay with it! Mistakes
aren’t the problem, being paralyzed into
inaction is. Change how you react to mistakes.
Don’t think of them as something to be avoided
at all costs. Mistakes are opportunities for
growth. You can’t truly be passionate about
something unless you’re willing to risk getting
something wrong. You don’t learn anything by
standing back on the sidelines. You learn by
falling down, getting back up, and then going
a step further.
Perfectionism isn’t part of your personality
~ perfectionism is just a way to cope for the
unpredictable. It’s about control. You’re won’t
change who you are as a person by renouncing
perfectionism, you’ll just discover who you are
without this false armor.
It was a very teachable moment for my student
that night, as I reminded her of what she should
be focusing on: the things of God, the things
of eternal value, things that cause the name of
Jesus to be honored and worshiped. Things
that cause people to recognize their sin, repent,
and move closer to God. And this is what we
get to do as worship leaders when we lift our
voices as an instrument, bringing glory and
attention to God ~ and that will always translate
on Sunday.
May you be blessed as you continue to pour
into or become the next generation of worship
leaders and musicians!
Vance & Michelle Shepherd
Founders of The Shepherd School of Music in Las
Vegas, NV, where they work with youth to raise up the
next generation of worship leaders and musicians.
facebook.com/shepherdschoolofmusiclasvegas
www.ShepherdStudiosLV.com
48 August 2020
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