The "I Wish Syndrome"

For: The Essentials in Worship Leading Online Course with Dan Wilt

As I have been slowly learning the ropes of worship leading, I have discovered a weakness of mine. This weakness probably should be categorized as a highly dangerous disease, actually. It would be called the "I Wish Syndrome". Oh yes, you know the one-the "I wish I could sing like she can.", I wish I could write songs as 'easily' as he can.", "I wish I could play the keys (or whatever instrument you can imagine) as well as he can", or maybe even the infamous "I wish I were she (or he, of course)." disposition. Well, I have caught it and am trying to rid myself of it (not an easy task)!

I am sure that most people would say that I have caught this dreaded disease because I am beginning my journey to becoming a worship leader and I am a newish guitar player and with those come many insecurities, but those are only excuses. Trust me, I could write out a loooong list of excuses, but that would be a waste of a blog post, I think.

As I have been thinking much about how to get out of this mindset recently, I remembered something my worship leader/highschool pastor told me, "Give everything to God, even your mistakes." Wow, what a thought! Does God really care if our voices are or are not on key, or if we can't or can play the guitar well, or if we are able to sing harmony? I don't think so.

(Now, I am fully aware that as both a musician and as a worship leader-albeit a beginner-that it IS important to those around us that their worship leader not be a terrible musician and be able to sing on key, but I am specifically referring to our personal worship times with the Lord. I'll cover leading worship for a group of people later.)

God made us the way we are and he is pleased with His work. Is it glorifying to Him when we look at ourselves and say "I wish this." or "I wish that."? Nope. Not even close. He made us to be able to sing the way we do and/or to be able to play the way we can. However, I do NOT mean that it is wrong in any way to learn more about your instrument or vocal abilities or pray that He would increase your vocal range or what-have-you. In fact, I think that that is the exact thing to do.

Now back to the topic of leading others in worship. I think that it is important that the leader be a good or even great musician and that he (or she) be able to sing in key, but even then, as my youth pastor pointed out, it is very important that they be able to give their mistakes to God. As worship leaders, it is essential that we not only focus on the technical side of worship. There are things way more important (such as worshipping Christ!) than how well the keyboardist plays or how gorgeous the voice of the backup singer is.

After pondering this and putting my thoughts down on paper (and the internet), I think I have found the cure to the "I Wish Syndrome": merely the thought that we are made by our Heavenly Father the way He intended us to be.

This is what I think. What about you?