Voices In My Head Podcast # 258: The Real Deal of Humility

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Welcome to Voices in My Head, the official podcast of me, Rick Lee James. I'm a recording artist, a singer, songwriter, an author, a worship leader, and an ordained minister in the Church of the Nazarene. The Voices in My Head podcast is your source for discussions on music, literature, movies, pop culture, theology, and more. Now sit back, relax, and listen to the latest episode of the Voices in My Head podcast. And don't forget to let the voices in your head be heard by following me on Twitter @RickLeeJames and sharing your thoughts about today's show.

We all experience heartache, often elicited by circumstances beyond our control. The pains of brokenness only affirm that which our souls suspect: we are not yet whole. Prompted by pain, we feel the tension between this segment of life and life forever, and we waver, dangling between the finite limitations of our mind and bodies and the eternal realities of our hearts and souls. In this constant push and pull, we doubt, and doubt develops questions, and questions often create confusion, and with confusion comes humility, true humility, and humility, though costly, births hope. Born from distressing hardships and matured through the courage to meet, rather than avoid, life's inexplicable mysteries, humility inspires us to seek a direction rather than a diagnosis. It is weighted with surrender. Though our human nature is resistant, our soulful nature is pining to just let go. Within the posture of surrender, our hearts relax towards God, and when our hearts are open to God, we begin to really live. Humility's gift is compassion. People attuned to the conundrum of life swell with empathy. The benefit of their conflict is the kindness of understanding and the space to partner with those who have lost, and lost a lot. Their contribution is presence, the sweet opportunity to shoulder up with and encourage those stricken by grief while understanding they cannot nor is it their responsibility to extract the pain. Most of us did not know Rich personally, but many of us knew his music. Through the compassionate content of his songs, we felt Rich identified with how much life hurts. Though his music did not provide answers to our questions, it did give us permission to ask them. More than songs to sing, Rich gave us prayers to pray. Those who have most effectively ministered to me in my most dire time of need have been those who, like Rich, recognize their own woundedness. They forgo offering immediate counsel, reciting a scripture, or cliché condolences, and instead wordlessly say, "I don't get this either, but I'm here." Rich seemed to surround himself with these same type of people. People who just get it. They are the ones I choose again and again to live with in the most intimate manner. They are God's grace and salvation in my life, minute by minute, day by day. It is they who will usher me into eternity. And I can imagine Jesus saying to them, "Thank you for not letting him go. I love him." Embrace the real deal of humility. Smile, greet, and search for those who will help deliver you safely to Jesus. Through being pressed down by humility's refining force, we are resurrected and transformed, healthier, more effective, and ultimately whole. Through humility, we find our way home. We also celebrate in seasons of suffering because we know that when we suffer, we develop endurance, which shapes our character. When our characters are refined, we learn what it means to hope and anticipate God's goodness. Romans 5:3-4. What I just read to you is actually out of a great little book called Winds of Heaven, Stuff of Earth. We've talked about it on the podcast before, and it's a book that I really recommend to you. Matter of fact, we were there the day that the book released. It was also the day that was the anniversary of Rich Mullins's death last year in 2017, when we recorded live from Nashville with authors Andrew Greer and Randy Cox and Rich's brother Dave. And It speaks of Rich Mullins by people that knew him and loved him, people that are just really influenced by him. Artists like Andrew Peterson, who I don't believe ever met him, but who were deeply affected by him. And as I was reading that passage from chapter 9 titled "The Real Deal of Humility," I was reminded that as I go into the studio this next week,, and I'm putting out an album that is at least somewhat inspired by the work of Rich Mullins, titled Thunder, because that's the song we've recorded that we're gonna put on the album. I'm reminded that I want this album to be something that can help people who are experiencing pain and heartache and people who will deal with the eternal realities of hearts and souls. What I long to do more with this album than anything else is to humbly go into the studio and face some of these distressing hardships of life and talk about through song what it means to worship God in the midst of not only the joyful times and not only the moments where we often gather together just to say how grateful we are, but to learn to worship God also in those moments when we have trouble tracing His hand, when we have trouble seeing Him, when we have trouble even sometimes getting out of bed in the morning because sometimes life is just that hard. Sometimes, as the portion that I just read from this book talks about, people that are stricken by grief and pain at times. And I want the album to be something that addresses those things head-on. And doesn't offer easy answers and doesn't offer simply cliché condolences to people. I really hope that this album that I'm setting out to make this next week will be something that can truly help guide some hearts along the way. And maybe if nothing else, the words and the music can just sit with some people along the way that just need a friend there with them that says, "I'm not gonna tell you all the answers or try to even attempt to tell you that I know what you're going through. I just want to sit here with you in the presence of the Holy Spirit and know that God is with us together." And I truly hope and pray that that is what's going to be happening on this new album. I know if you've been listening to the podcast for a while, you may be tired of hearing me talk about Thunder, the new album, and I hope that's not the case, but it might be.. But before I leave, I wanted to do one more podcast in the morning on the— I guess it's the 12th of March. I'll be going into the studio. And on that same day, we'll be starting pre-orders through Indiegogo. You can go there and sign up to pre-order the album at that time. You can follow us along in the studio. I'm going to be doing my best to make videos along the way of this project. Um, but I ask that you would pray for us as we go in to make this album. It's going to be about 7 days for me away from my family. Pray for my family in the midst of that time too. It can be hard not only to be away from home for an amount of time, as most people who travel for work, whether you're musicians or some other, um, profession that takes you away from home for long periods of time, it can not only be hard because it's tough to be away from the people you love But, you know, we want it to be something that is worth our time being away, worth taking time away from the family, worth the financial commitment that we're putting forth to do this project. And ultimately, at the heart of this project is worship. And I don't want it to be a happy-clappy sort of worship that we're addressing. I want it to be worship in the midst of all of life's circumstances, in the midst of when we tend to wonder, "How long, O Lord, will the wicked continue to prosper?" We are going to trust that the Lord is our Shepherd and that He is walking through us even through the valleys of the shadow of death. So do not get me wrong, this is not going to be a sad, mournful album that we are making. This is going to be an album of hope and an album of proclamation. Of standing up to the darkness, staring it right in the eye, and saying, "You are not Lord, and you will not be Lord over this situation." So pray for us. That is a huge task, and I do not pretend that it is something I can do on my own. I pray that the Holy Spirit will just continue to inspire us in the studio. I have been working long and hard on writing these songs for this album. I'm amazed that I get to include one Rich Mullins song on the album that was never before published. I feel like it sets a good tone for the record. There have been so many things just falling into place, and it's not been an easy journey, but it's been a journey where I've been able to trace the hand of God throughout it. So please, listeners of Voices in My Head, if you could do me a favor and if you have a prayer list like so many of us do, if you could just write me and my family and all the people at Old Bear Studio, Brothers McClurg, who are going to be the backing band with me on this and singing vocals on this with me as we make this album together. Will you just lift us up in prayer each day and pray that God will guide us and lead us? There's a sense in which a lot of the work is already done. Done. And we believe it's already been done in the presence of the Spirit, following that guidance. But we still want our heart to be softened even though the songs are already written. There's a sense in which songs and the art that we make, it will fall flat unless God is guiding it and unless God is helping us to present that. And we truly want God to be seen and lifted up and glorified in this. It certainly is not about the money. As this year's tax return just shows, it is definitely not about the money. It is about God and His Kingdom. We pray that He will be glorified on it. Alright, I guess that is my podcast for today. I hope you will not find it too selfish, but I covet your prayers. I pray that what we are endeavoring to do will be a worthy task. And I'll close today with some words from Rich Mullins from that book. Actually starts the beginning of Chapter 9 of Winds of Heaven, Stuff of Earth by Andrew Greer and Randy Cox. Rich Mullins' quote is: Love one another, forgive one another, work as unto God. Let the peace of Christ reign in your hearts. Make it your ambition to lead quiet lives. Obey. Greet one another with a holy kiss. No one will argue with that. Thank you for listening to Voices in My Head. Next time I talk to you, I hope it will be from the studio, or maybe even on the way home from the studio when it's all complete and I can tell you about how it went. God bless you. Thank you for listening to Voices in My Head.

Thank you for joining me here this week on the Voices in My Head podcast.

I hope you'll visit me on my website at RickLeeJames.com.

Rickleejames.com. Follow me on Twitter @RickLeeJames. Like my artist page on Facebook at facebook.com/rickleejames. And keep up to date on what I'm writing at my author page on amazon.com. Make sure to follow my calendar on the website, and if you would like to have me come to your town to do a concert, a speaking engagement, or a book event, you can book me through my website by clicking on the link for Pare Booking Agency.

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And finally, it would mean the world to me if you were to leave me a review of this podcast on iTunes. The more positive reviews that we receive, the more visible this podcast is on the internet. And now the benediction: May the God of peace, who raised Christ from the dead, strengthen your inner being for every good work. And may the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, rest upon you and dwell within you this day and forever. Forevermore. Amen.