What I Learned About Missions from American Idol

Alright, I admit. I watched American Idol. I found it very interesting and funny. I never thought however, that the show would teach me something about the way to approach missions.

The idol show that I saw dealt with the group competition. Each idol contestant was paired up with two other contestants to perform as a group. These pairings made for some very interesting personal dynamics between the various contestants. However, it was their performances before the judges that made a big impact.

As I watched each group perform, I realized that each person seemed to be performing to survive to the next level of competition. Many sang the song, danced the choreography, and did all the right things to get to the next level of the show. There was just one thing missing: a deep passion for the music they were singing. The music and the lyrics of the song were not a part of the performer’s passion or heart. They were only singing the song and not living it.The passion was just to get the job done to get to the next level of the show.

As I sat and watched, I realized what was missing: Passion! I used to think what was needed to do missions was either a passion for the lost or a passion to share the Gospel. This I found is not enough. When that is the basis of our passion it soon becomes like the singers on the show. We will only do what is required to get the task done.

WHAT WE NEED FOR MISSIONS IS A PASSION FOR GOD! The heart of God is missions. It is God bringing man back to a personal relationship with Him. The more we come to know God and the deeper we come to love Him, the stronger our passion for missions becomes. Because missions is God! We can talk, preach, teach, give and go do missions. Like American Idol, we can sing the song and do the dance but until we own it and it becomes a part of hearts, we are only going through the motions.

When we allow ourselves to be drawn to God through Christ and we desire that others know about His love for us and our love for Him, it is then and only then we are no longer doing missions but being missions and living within the heart of God.

Lets quit performing for performance sake and start living with the passion of God.