strumming your guitar

Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

In an interview with “Studio B” on Feb 16, 2001 this 16 year old Christian Artist answered a few questions before singing her songs. Her first album was 2 weeks away from coming out and she was very excited. When asked about what she likes to write about she said “I just like to write about my relationship with Christ and all the pitholes [that's like a mix of potholes and pitfalls] I have encountered”. Katy was so excited to be singing in front of people and finally releasing her first album. Christian singer Jennifer Knapp had just asked Katy to open for her for a show that was coming up, she is on TV singing this song, she was finally, at age 16, getting to do all the things she had dreamed of.  She was so excited about these good gifts that God was giving her to her.

In a different interview she said my favorite quote of hers when asked what she would say to teens today that wanted to get involved in the music industry : Katy Hudson said this: “ be careful, be careful stay whole and stay a child and stay young. and when you're in the business don't get jaded… remember that there is a God and remember what your motives were when you first started strumming your guitar.”

So Katy knew what she was talking about at 16, didn’t she? This one interviewer even praised her saying he was glad his daughter had influences like Katy to look up to. 

So time passes, and she makes one little compromise and then another and all the sudden things are going well for her, and she is thanking God for the way things are working out… and she is trying to remember her own advice - no matter how many “good” things happen, remember who you were when you first started strumming your guitar.

Katy changed her last name and today Katy has millions of dollars, magazine covers like you wouldn't believe, songs on every radio station and sung by everyone in the English speaking world, she even has a rouge dancing shark… half the world has seen her naked, she has one divorce and a lot of regrets…

When Katy Perry started out she told us “remember that there is a God and what your motives were when you first started strumming your guitar” …  I don’t believe she has been true to her own advice.  So why has she been getting great gifts and rewards all along?  If they Bible says that every good gift comes from God - was He the one giving her these gifts?

Since Katy is not taking her own advice I thing its safe to say that these “gifts” that she is receiving are not so “good” in the long run, and I pray that she comes around before these “good gifts” catch up to her like they always do.

Answer This:

1)       Who is getting the good gifts that you are jealous of?

2) What is a time that you received good gifts that you knew 100% was from God?

3) “Every good ________ and every perfect _____ is from above, coming down from the Father of lights”

4) Take a minute to journal about this passage.