“Be filled with the Holy Spirit, quoting psalms and singing sacred hymns." ~ Ephesians 5:18-19
As seats filled, the lights began
to dim. A raucous crowd cheered as a
young man walked on stage, guitar in hand, his band trailing behind. The music began to a crescendo of worship and
glory lifted high by thousands of adoring fans, fulfilling the command outlined
in Ephesians above.
It’d been a great year for the 34-year-old contemporary Christian
artist. His hit single “Reckless Love” ranked
as Billboard’s hottest Christian song in 2018; the 4th best in its
category of the decade. Additionally, he’d
garnered three Dove awards – honors bestowed on performers within the
Christian/Gospel music industry. But his
devotees wanted more.
Creating a work/life balance is a constant struggle for all
touring celebrities. Lurking behind the glaring
spotlights, swanky limos and star-studded parties is a seedier side of stardom
filled with jealousy, competition, and greed.
The demands of recording, touring, and media appearances can often devastate
family life.
The young man stepped to the mic after his final encore. “God loves you,” he began. He created you for a purpose. He likes you
right where you are - Your imperfections don’t scare him. Your sin doesn’t intimidate Him. He paid for you with His very own blood. Goodnight and goodbye for now!”
Without hesitation, he left the stage, perhaps at the peak of his brief career.
Twitter was abuzz until he later clarified his
intention. “I’m stepping away for one
year – no music or social media.”
“It’s awesome when a blessing happens, but I’ve been
traveling a ton,” Cory Asbury explained.
“So, my wife, Anna, and I prayed; asking God for a path to make all
this sustainable for our family?”
Anna reminded him of a conversation she’d had with their seven-year-old
son, Gabriel. She asked him if he would
like to go on tour with dad to all the big cities and eat all the best food. Gabriel responded immediately: ”Mommy, I’d rather
get pizza and stay home together.”
Asbury couldn’t help feel convicted by the Lord, who asked
him a poignant question: “You wrote a song about being reckless and extravagant
and throwing it all away for love - could you do that with your family? Could you throw away career, money accolades,
and success? Because if you don’t, you might not have a family.”
Asbury, who’d wanted to be a professional musician since he
was a child, further explained. “I
felt like Abraham (who’d prayed for a son).
When his son was born God asked Abraham to sacrifice him,” he
explained. “I can’t imagine him walking up that mountain.”
And while they’re waiting for God to reveal a significant
next step, he and Anna are establishing new boundaries and open dialogue about
his career.
