Why "Background"?

Play the Background.

Not an appealing thought.   No up-and-coming recording artist really wants to sing background vocals.  No kid wants to be cast as the "tree" in their third grade musical. Nobody wants to be that person in the group project that does all the work but gets none of the credit.

Everyone wants the solo.  Everyone wants the lead.  Everyone wants to be seen and heard and recognized, liked and respected and praised.

Except... we're not everyone, right?  Christians are different.  We have different goals, different desires, different reasons for living.  We're living for the glory of God, for His return, to spread His Word and make disciples.  2 Corinthians 5:17 says that those who are in Christ are new creations, my old self has been replaced.  So if I'm living like everyone else, trying to get praise and respect and admiration, how can I say I'm simultaneously living for God?

As many of you may know, my favorite rapper-theologian Lecrae has a song off his last album titled "Background."  Go listen to it! Of course it's rap, so the grammar isn't fantastic (hahaha), but meditate on the meaning... it's so worth it :)

"So if you need me I'll be stage right,
Prayin' the whole world will start embracing stage fright.
So let me fall back and stop giving my suggestions
Cuz when I follow my obsessions I end up confessing
That I'm not that impressive, matter fact I'm who I are:
A trail of star dust leading to the superstar."

I'm writing this blog about playing the background because that's exactly what I want to do.   I don't want to be known as any of the things I am (singer, actress, student, daughter, friend) unless I'm known FIRST as a a Christian, a Christ-follower, a theophobe.  When people look at me, I want them to see God first, and I'll be the background.