A Tool Is Not A Treasure

Not unlike most other worship leaders or musicians I know, I continually find myself back in a place of either wanting new gear (that’s what we musician dorks call our equipment…pedals, guitars, etc) or buying and selling gear.

The reason is all completely justifiable. Just ask any musician. Once you’ve lived with a piece of equipment for a season, inevitably a newer, shinier better version comes out. And I always can seem to draw a greater sense of inspiration from the newest stuff.

That being said, I’ve been on a journey the past few weeks. It’s a journey of seeing God really challenge my consumeristic need for new stuff.

You see, what I’m learning is that the gear I own is meant to be a tool. A tool I can use to help me and those around me see my creator. But it becomes very dangerous when my tools become my treasure. In the rightful alignment, the tool helps reveal the treasure – and in this case the treasure is Jesus. But when I lose my perspective, and the tools turn into the treasure, my music and my worship becomes a self-glorifying song.

Through this there have been moments when I’ve heard God whisper – ‘really? You’re going to draw your inspiration from that? What if you we’re inspired by Me and then used what you have, weather it’s the latest and greatest, or it has every nuance of coolness, to help paint a musical sound scape of what you see.

Here’s an excerpt from my constant prayer I keep coming back to in this time:

I will work as though
The only eyes that matter
Are not of this world.
I will rid myself my life and possession
Of anything that I can pride in
Just because I can have it.
Doesn't mean I should.
I will live and lead on what He supplies
Not what I can afford.
I choose a life of enough
That leaves room for God to be the abundance.
I reject a life of excess
That pushes God to the margins

How do you keep a proper balance on what you have not getting in the way?