And yes, we ALL struggle with this! I’m humbled by your comments, but please be aware that no matter how far you feel that someone has “made it,” insecurity still exists, and you always fight the desire for approval from others. And those desires lead to constant mind-games of comparing yourself to other artists.

Thank you again for sharing. I have no doubt that your willingness to be so open and authentic in your journey will inspire others, even through your comments here on this blog.

Keep it up man!

I am diggin your blog series on deception. And all of the videos are coming across so real and down to earth. I am chimin in on this one cause it pushed a button….. in a good way.

At one point in the interview Mike talks about seeing what other artists are doing and then suddenly feeling very insignificant. First, I can not imagine you or Mike feeling that way. But to hear that even you guys do was helpful.

I personally struggle with this. I look at illusionists such as yourself who get to travel the world doing what they love and delivering the message of Christ. Then I look at myself, working my little venues, in my little state and wonder is there more. I look at other performers such as yourself and think why can’t I speak like that, or put together my thoughts like that. And so on and so on… it is a nasty rabbit trail for sure.

While it may appear that my focus is Christ, a second glance at the above statements will reveal differently. The big deception for me is that while I thought I was doing all of these things for Christ, I was really just trying to feed my own needs, wants and desires. Praise God for his patience with me as I come to discover what it means to truly serve Him. There are no small venues for God and I am right where God desires to have me. God may use me how He chooses and when He chooses and I am ok with that.

God Bless you and your ministry Harris…
Dorian

Another home run. So glad to see a performer that knows his true identity in Christ. I must admit that when I first started out (which was fairly late in life) that I got mixed up with a mentor that was all about ego and had me convinced that was the way an entertainer was to act. I thank God that He showed me the truth before it had an effect on me and my testimony.

Serving our King,
Dorian

Randy – Maybe. I’m not an authority of the subject of communication or anything, so if that’s what works for him, and God is using it, then more power to him. Regardless of my own misunderstanding of him, (through less context, I admit), his motives do seem pure, even if I don’t agree with his approach.

If that is the true approach, it comes down to what you value most. For some, it’s entertainment value. Taking the risk of being misunderstood just for the sake of stirring up conversation is a style many have used, but few have done so with much longevity.

For me, it’s like comedy. Many comedians will use sex and profanity for the sake of being funny. A lot of people laugh at them, but mostly, they aren’t the best in their field. It’s the comedians who come along like Bill Cosby, Jerry Seinfeld, and others who prove that you can still be funny, and usually funnier, without the cheap, profane content.

Communication is the same way. It’s easy to be sarcastic and controversial, but the communicators who have lasting impact are those who communicate clearly, but do so in an entertaining way. Being entertaining without sarcasm being the driving force of your style certainly requires talent and creativity.

Just as puns are the lowest form of all humor, I believe sarcasm is the most in-effective form of communication, regardless of your goal. It isn’t bad. I’m most definitely a sarcastic person. But when it comes to holding up my standard for the way I represent truth, I leave as little room as possible for those who interact with my message to walk away confused about where I stand. That just seems like a wise idea.

Thanks again to everyone for their comments. My intention wasn’t for this to become a debate on what someone meant, (which is ironic, supporting evidence of what I’ve just written), but more about the actual issue of competition among pastors, which takes place daily, all across America.

Regardless, I’m thankful for the conversation, and am grateful you’re all willing to come here and share your thoughts. Keep them coming!

It sounds like everyone is in agreement here that true beauty is not defined by the world, but by our creator. I love what you guys had to say about this. Zinho – Thanks for putting this into the perspective of eternity. It’s eye-opening!

Regardless, (and it sounds like everyone agrees with this, too), I do think we should be good stewards of the bodies he has given us. And I think after processing it more, I’ve come to this understanding: Focus on health, not looks.

The bottom line is, God is sovereign. None of have 100% control over when we die. But if we die because our health failed, in direct connection with over-eating and lack of exercise, that’s completely different story. So I really think it comes down to our focus on health vs. beauty.

I think what made me realize that was to flip to the opposite end of the spectrum and look at eating disorders. Usually driven by the desire to feel beautiful, an eating disorder is most often an attempt to be “skinny,” because “that’s the way the girls look in pictures in the magazine.”

So even by the world’s standards, you can be “beautiful” but unhealthy, and still not a good steward of your body.

Bottom line? Take care of yourself. If you’re out of shape, start eating better, put down the Coke & Pepsi, and get some exercise! Respect God’s creation, including yourself, and be around longer for your families. In the process, maintain a healthy, eternal perspective that God’s love for your is endless, unconditional, and perfect. In his eyes, you are absolutely gorgeous!

If you’re struggling with any of this, get some help by finding some accountability. It’s a practical way to move forward, and could end up changing your life.

Not that I think Brant needs any defending, but it’s important to remember that anyone who speaks (or writes) publicly will probably be misunderstood (and falsely accused) sometime in their career. This cannot always be avoided. But even if he his message was misunderstood by some people, at least it brought the issue out into the open where it could be discussed. That is a good thing.

I don’t know Brant personally, so he can correct this statement if he wants. From what I’ve heard from him, it seems that he’d be willing to be falsely accused or misunderstood if it meant that people would take some time to think through these disturbing things that are happening in the church and compare them to the truth of the scriptures.