When we encounter success of some form or another, how do we stay grounded? If we aren’t careful, we can let our success go to our head. As Proverbs 16:18 says, prides goes before a fall.
Jon Carlos Velez of Emmanuel Live says that it’s important for him to examine his heart on a daily basis in order to root out pride.
“I think it’s all about the condition of your heart. Day after day, I have to remind myself who I’m doing this for and why I’m doing it.”
No matter how passionate we are about serving the Lord, it’s easy lose sight of God and His the bigger picture.
“So much of the time it’s easy for us to get caught up in the motions, in doing our thing.”
“Especially as creative musicians, we think we’re creating all these things and we can get wrapped up solely in the process of creating, but really it’s such a beautiful thing when you open up and say, wow this is much bigger, I’m actually downloading something that the Creator has placed in me. That’s the reason why I can create or be creative and allow my juices to flow so to speak, but so much of the time it definitely comes down to the condition of your heart.”
An awareness of pride should not stop us from being all in for Christ and in the pursuit of excellence.
“I believe in going full force. Go with it. As a church, I believe that we’re supposed to be setting the standard of what it is to be excellent. So I want to give my best. I want to be the best singer that I could possibly be. I want to be the best musician that I can possibly be, not for my own credit, but to give the glory to God and say He created me and I’m doing this for the glory of Jesus, that just speaks.”
Jon Carlos & Gabriella Velez are a husband and wife duo from Minneapolis, MN. It all started off when they were 13 years old singing together on their youth worship team. They began singing together, writing songs together and eventually falling in love.
Key Scripture: Psalm 5:1-3;7
Featured Songs: No Turning Back – Chris Tomlin; All For The One Who Saved Me – River Valley Worship; We Are Who You Say We Are – Steven Curtis Chapman
Staying grounded amidst success
