What We Can Learn from the X-Factor

I do not know how you feel about the X-Factor, I know for us there are “questionable moments” during the show where we turn to another channel until the “questionable moment”  is over.  But other than that… the show is fun and entertaining.

It is also something we can learn from…

especially the church.

Here are a few things we, the church, can learn from the X-Factor.

1. Not all of us are created with the same gifts.  Some of us think we have a gift that we really don’t have. Why?  Because the Christians around us have never said, “hey man you’re not good at that, would you like to try another ministry”.  Why do Christians not say these things?  Because we want to be nice and not hurt anyone’s feelings.

We should serve the Lord in our area of giftedness.  He has created us to be a part of serving in the local church and each of us has a place He created us to use our gifts in. Our Christian life is more fulfilling when we find a place to minister in the church that fits the gifts God has given us.

One of the judges said in an interview… “I’m honest with these people,because I do not want them to waist 7 or more years of their life only to find out then, they were not cut out for the job.”

More years than that are often waisted in church ministries because we did not help guide people to places they could serve based on their giftedness. A mistake that has eternal consequences…

Here are a few more mistakes we make in this area..

a. Church’s that try to have a standard for service often make that standard too high for good people who love the Lord to reach.  Just because someone doesn’t sing like “Sandy Patty” or Chris Tomlin doesn’t mean they can’t be on your worship team. Nor does it mean that God hasn’t given them a gift to sing. (Just ask the people who can’t sing at all, the people that wish they could but know they don’t have the gift)  There are way to many average singers that are not used in churches because they have been rejected for no other reason other they didn’t meet some musical mark that was set too high by the leadership in the first place.  Remember, we are a church that worships  God with our voices, we aren’t looking for the next $5 million dollar recording artist.

b. People wear their feelings on their sleeve, so they get up set if there is even just one helpful word of criticism spoken. As a result we are scared to tell people what they really need to hear. After all the last thing the church needs is another conflict.

The fact of the matter is, when people wear their feelings on their selves, and fuss because of something like this it reveals their focus… and that focus is not on God and worshiping Him.   This happens not only with musicians but other people in other ministry positions as well.  Some people are just not willing to be corrected or instructed on how to do something.  If this is you it is time to get over yourself and get into God.

If you are the leader and have to approach someone like this, do it with wisdom but by all means do it and let the chips fall where they fall.  It is better to worship God in spirit and in truth than to worship God with a spirit of fear and pride.

2. Always look for the X-Factor. Language, styles of music and the way we communicate changes often in our culture.  We must always make sure our message is presented in a way that connects with the people we are delivering it too.  The message we have to pass on is too important not to make this a priority.

Just last night I taught a lesson on the Existence of God to our youth at Farmington Baptist Church, after the lesson was over I knew I had not connected very well with the students.  I did not teach the lesson in a “X-Factor” sort of way.

So, at this point I have a few choices…

a. I could ignore the fact the lesson did not connect as well as it should and keep teaching like “I always have”

b. I could blame the youth for not being involved and engaged. (BTW – this is a cop out excuse for people not listening to you as the speaker… it is the speakers job to keep the attention of  his audience… even messages in the OT that people did not agree with kept the audiences attention)

c. I could ask myself “why didn’t that work?”  Then determine in my prayers and in my mind to find where the” X-Factor” is for the next message I bring to them.

3. You have to look past the way someone presents themselves to really see what God is doing in their life.  The best parts of the X-Factor is when someone comes out that looks homely (like they have no talent at all) and winds up having an unbelievable voice.

The church needs to always keep in mind that God is constantly transforming people from the inside out.  This means that often what He has done inside of a person is far greater than their “homely” look outside.

Remember…

They might not look like it but they might closer to God than you are.

Looks are relative anyway… right?

So there you go… a few things we can learn from the X-Factor…

what have you learned?