Shadowlands

Those who know me well, as well as those who follow this blog, know my great admiration and respect for Pastor Wayne Cordeiro. He's one of the wisest men I've ever met, and his messages speak to me in ways that are unlike any other pastor (in fact, the only other pastor that has had that type of impact on me is this guy). So, I was reading his blog today, and he wrote a statement that just floored me. It wasn't something I'd never heard before, but it really ministered to me at a time when I've been quieting my heart before the Lord... away from the "lights" of ministry. Here's what he said:

"Who I am in the shadows, rather than in the floodlights, is what God really measures."

DANG!!

But it's so true... as leaders, we thrive in front of people. We live for that... and that's not wrong in itself. But when who we are in the shadows is different than when we're in the spotlight, we're in a dangerous place.

There's an old song I used to like alot called When the Music Stops... and I loved it, because - as I was then primarily leading worship - the lyrics spoke to me so powerfully:

When the music stops... that's when I live my song
When the band goes home... that's when I live my song
When we've said, "Amen," and the crowd begans to fade away
That's when I live the life that I sing about in my songs.

To God, the dark is the same as the light... nothing is hidden from Him (Heb 4:13). When we step into the shadows... when the lights are dimmed, and the crowd is gone... is He pleased by what He sees from our lives?