The beginning of a new year is often a time for personal evaluation and setting goals for the year ahead. Not a bad idea when you consider the old saying, “Those who fail to plan, plan to fail.” With that in mind, I’ve compiled a list of ten things we, as Christians/Musicians/Worship Leaders, should plan to do in the year ahead.
I left some obvious things off the main list that apply to all of us, whether we are in music ministry or not—read God’s Word daily, pray daily, fellowship regularly, give of our time, and give of our finances. I think we can all agree that we should be doing those things in the year 2010 and beyond.
For this list of 10 things, there’s a “musical” application and a “spiritual” application. The musical application will be somewhat obvious. For the spiritual application, I have added bold italics for the point of emphasis from each passage.
With all of that, let’s dive into the list of Ten Things in Twenty Ten for Christian Musicians:
1. Practice (You are never so accomplished that you don’t need to practice)
“Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.” (1 Timothy 4:13-16)
2. Learn something (new instrument, new technique, how to read music, etc.)
“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)
3. Relearn something you used to know (go back and revisit past musical ideas)
“Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (1 Timothy 4:6-7)
4. Encourage someone else (you never know when your words will be the difference)
“But command Joshua, and encourage him and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which you will see.” (Deuteronomy 3:28)
“Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it.” (Deuteronomy 31:7)
5. Come alongside someone else (for the purpose of instruction, mentoring, and serving)
“The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.”(Philippians 4:9)
6. Be teachable (a meek and gentle spirit goes a long way)
“Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” (James 1:21)
“Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5)
7. Defer to others (a person who doesn’t always want to get their way is invaluable)
“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” (Philippians 2:3)
8. Practice listening (so you can play better with other people)
“So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” (James 1:19)
9. Resolve to be a peacemaker (create harmony, musically and relationally)
“Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.” (Matthew 5:9)
10. Be a leader, be a servant (if you are doing points 1–9, then this describes you!)
Titus 2:1-8 says:
“You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.”
Blessings,
Hanz Ives
Tags: 10 things, 2010, Hanz Ives
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It almost goes without saying that the world is much different today than when I first began preaching 35 years ago. And I’m sorry to say that one of the areas that’s changed the most, and not for the better, is Bible literacy.
“And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and 
The Bible tells us that on the Day of Pentecost some 2,000 years ago, “those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them” (Acts 2:41 NKJV).
“Grant that I may not pray alone with the mouth; help me that I may pray from the depths of my heart.”