At the 2019 Elevation Conference, Wande and Rockstar Jt formed a panel focused on youth. The two young adult artists talked and answered audience questions about navigating life and how God lead them to where they are today. This article describes how Wande and Jt stayed strong in Christ through the grind of pursuing becoming artists.
Placing Value
Your value is in Christ, not in Earthly things or matters. Wande told a story of one of her friends who at one point was studying for a big test in law school. She knew becoming a lawyer was God’s plan for her. However, she failed the test and became angry towards God. In a conversation they had, Wande told her that maybe God had her fail the test to tell her that her love towards Him is conditional. If God gave her the test, she would love Him. God should have our full admiration, so do not look upon statuses or material items as being more important than being a child of God.
Social Media
While social media can be a source of comparison, it can also be a tool of encouragement. Wande found and followed Christian people on Twitter and Instagram to help her stay encouraged when her faith was attacked. Likewise, Christians should do the same. Follow other Christians on social media so that your feed is filled with mostly scripture and positive remarks instead of negative and self-destructive comments.
Difficult Times Are Beneficial
The Bible says in Romans 8:23 that all things that happen are for the good of those who follow God. This includes trials and tribulations. In those times, Christians should draw close to God to find meaning in the suffering. For Jt, he drew closer to God when he found out his mother found a lump in her throat (They found out later it is not cancerous). So in difficult times, remember God is still working and guiding in your life and that He is strengthening your relationship.
Remember God is Reliable
Life seems to become worse when making the choice to follow Christ. Always remember though that God is always there and will bring you out of every season of pain. He will lead you down the right paths and bring comfort when needed. For both Wande and Rockstar Jt, when they accepted Christ as their savior, their lives became harder because they had to reject the single lifestyle they based their life on. As time went on, however, God made their walks easier and blessed them for their faithfulness. So while he does use those times ultimately for our benefit to teach Christians, He will bring you out of those situations.
Pray for God’s Will
Outside of what God has planned for his children, Christians still have their own plans and agendas. We have to make sure, however, our plans do not interfere with God’s plans for us. So pray if a move in life is what God wants you to do. Wande knew God planned for her to become a rapper, but she still needed to pay her bills and eat. So she picked up a job (conveniently at Reach Records) when it became available and pursued rapping on the side. Take life one step at a time until God opens the door for what He has called you to do.