Practice & Preparation As Glorification
My absurdly wise boss, Shane, has a saying that he repeats often to our team: “We are in love with the process, not the product.” The idea is that our creative teams spend their time working on creative products and it is that process of creation that we love not the end result. Many of our end results never see the light of day. Sometimes we spend days or weeks working on projects that are canceled for one reason or another. Our job is not to pout over the canceled project or the end result product we created, but rather to thrive in the creative process we are immersed in and get paid for.
This all leads me to ponder the idea of glorifying God — which should be our motivation for creating the products. IF we are waiting for the finished product or the final performance to be what gives God glory and IF the finished product never sees the light of day or the final performance is never given, THEN we run the risk of not glorifying God. But: IF we give God glory during the preparation or during the practice or during the creative process itself, THEN it does not matter if the product sees the light of day or if the final performance is ever given. God still receives glory.
This is applicable to musicians, audio/video techs, lighting/stage techs, web developers, designers, curriculum writers… basically anyone who creates anything. Focus on giving God the glory during your process and you will realize the product becomes the gravy.
i needed to hear this today. Thanks, Zac.
Awesome. Just like in Daniel 3 when the Shadrach Meshach and Abednego told Nebuchadnezzar they had faith that God would deliver them from the fire, BUT IF NOT….they would never bow down to the golden idol and God would be glorified even in their death. “but if not”…..whoa.
This is true, very true. It applies to anyone who serves the Lord in any capacity. Being a teacher of little kids, sometimes I am unhappy because there aren’t more kids in church. The days I focus on the process of learning what it is God wants me to teach, He blesses every part of it. The days I focus on me and how it looks and sounds and why isn’t that person doing what I asked them to do, it all falls apart.
Zac, you are wonderful. Thank you for being so obedient to God.