Whose Opinion of You Really Matters?

Sure glad I don't have to worry about what anybody thinks about me affecting how many thousands of followers might not like it or whatever. I just saw where Snoop Dogg lost over 500,000 followers after "a performance at President Donald Trump’s Crypto Ball, an event leading up to and in celebration of the inauguration." This was reported Jan. 28, 2025. My friend Alice used to say she was sure glad she wasn't famous, and there was a time when I used to think being famous would be really cool, because it probably also meant you would be really rich and not have to worry about money. I'm sure Snoop is doing fine. I understand he is also making gospel music. So, you see, it matters not what thousands of people think about you, it only matters what God thinks about you. The report about Snoop makes me really happy, in fact. I never cared for rap, I never followed Snoop, but all I know about him is what I just reported to you. I have been thinking a lot lately about how deeply entrenched in entertainment most people are here in the United States. For example, I don't remember growing up with video vending machines outside the grocery store. I was going to write about my "before and after," but it kind of slipped away from me. I have now been a Christian longer than I was not a Christian. My life completely changed after I decided to follow Jesus, but I haven't stopped to think about my "before and after" in a list form, let's say. It's not really about what I used to do that I don't do now, which is what a lot of testimonies are about, or how miserable I was before and how happy I am now. Nothing like that. I mean it's not that simple. Besides, I don't believe anyone really cares about a person's testimony unless they're really looking for answers. I don't know how many people are looking for answers anymore. I know I was looking for answers 45 years ago. But I don't really like to think about my life "before" I decided to follow Jesus. I was different, completely different, I can tell you that. My late sister told me she liked me better before, and I suppose she did. I also believe my other siblings liked me better before and wish I was the same as I was before. I am pretty sure I know that to be a fact. Because I used to be like them. I did not go to church, I did not talk about the Bible, and I did not irritate my relatives with my political beliefs. And already, there it is, the things I did not do before. I don't want to think about the things I did before that I don't do anymore. The fact is, my life completely changed. I wasn't sure about it at first. I was very happy playing music in bars every night right before I started to follow Jesus. You wouldn't think that would be such a big deal but in one sense I loved doing that and missed it when I stopped doing it, but I didn't miss everything about it. Let me explain. I loved playing music for a living. I loved practicing with the band, I loved performing, I mean I loved playing. I still love playing, but I play in church now. And it's a whole different thing, playing in a bar versus playing in church. When you play in a bar and get paid it's entirely different from playing in church. The whole purpose of what you're doing is different, and it's hard to explain. I missed playing professionally for a long, long time. I mean a long, long, long time. But following Jesus meant a complete lifestyle change. For some people, it doesn't, but for me it did, because everyone is different. I am not saying it is sinful to play in bars for everyone who plays in bars, but Jesus led me out of playing in bars, and I had to let go of whatever I had enjoyed about it and learn another way to think about music and another way of making a living and I'm not saying it was easy, but I found something that mattered a whole lot more than that. One thing I've been thinking about a lot lately is the difference between living a performative life, and living a life of service. That might be the biggest difference in the grand scheme of things for me. I remember I wanted to be a performer but I didn't focus greatly on that, I just focused on playing music, not in performing, so the performing part kind of went by the wayside anyway. Now I sing and play once a month at a retirement center. I play and sing country and gospel, and they love it, and I don't get paid, but I love doing it, and they love it (and I love them and they love me). I play in worship services, which is completely different even from performing at a retirement center. It is playing in the service of God and God's people who come together to worship, which is what music is really about, I have learned. In any case, I am free from worry about what anyone thinks about what I do, except for God, and that's whose opinion really matters. The end.