Under Pressure

     A close friend and I were having a conversation one day, and he said to me "Leading worship is a lot of pressure, I'd rather preach".  This comment made perfect sense to me because he IS called to be a pastor so the anointing is clearly there in his life for that, without question.  He wasn't, in any way, saying that being a pastor didn't have its pressures, because it does, just that he felt MORE equipped to do that, than to lead worship.  Like many things do in my life, this got the wheels in my head turning and thinking about pressure.  The Lord often uses these things in my life to speak to me and use them to minister. In true Lord fashion, He woke me in the night to speak to my heart.
 It is true that each calling on a Christians life has pressures, its own unique pressures.  In my own life I feel I have been called to do both, worship lead as well as minister the Word in maybe more non-traditional settings and have done just that, so although there IS definitely pressure in both,  I know that God has fully equipped me. When I am worshiping, I like to get to a place where its not about singing songs, in or out of key, who is leading, or how many parts there are etc....I like to think of the focus as if you are getting naked before the Lord, and just laying it all down.  The Lord is very aware of what our bodies look like under all the layers of clothes, right down to the dimples, the rolls, all crevices, and even the stinky places ha ha, so he is not surprised by it because nothing is hidden from God.  But its when we CHOOSE to lay it down on purpose,letting go of ourselves,  not worrying about the details or who might be staring but just wholeheartedly laying it out being incredibly vulnerable, being raw, real and free in your worship.  From that point He can do what He needs to do because you have been an open willing vessel.    If you are "worshiping" with the focus and expectation of it being for anyone or anything BUT the Lord, then there IS added additional pressure, because I am assuming that everyone else has never seen you naked and vulnerable, and then its just awkward.
  God has reminded me that there are some really cool things that are created under elevated heat and pressure, like gemstones.  All kinds of gemstones are created by pressure and each one unique.  If God has made me a diamond, then I only have to be just that...a diamond.  If I try to be a sapphire or an emerald then I am going to be dealing with a lot more added pressures that God did not intend because I was created as a diamond.  I don't need to try and be something I am not, just let go and be who God made me to be in MY calling.  By doing just that, He is able to, in my raw and real state, continue to polish me and shine through me as intended, beaming His light into all the world.