Every Thought Captive

I've had some terrible songwriting sessions lately.

I'm sitting there with my computer and my notepad and my guitar and my notes and privacy and time and desire and...

NOTHING.

I start playing and mumbling melodies, throwing some words in there, and yet, nothing happens. Or better yet, the stuff that does come out of the sessions sounds tired and trite and like something I would have written as a 14-year old.

And that's when the thoughts come. Those terrible, nagging thoughts. Thought like these:

• Well, that's it. You're done. You've completely exhausted every square inch of your creativity. There's nothing else to say. There's no fresh way to say it. You had a good run, buddy. But you're done.
  
  
• There are too many good songs. Give it up because even the best stuff you've got is terrible in comparison with what's out there right now. Why on earth would you try to write more worship songs when there are so many good ones?
  
  
• One line. You can't even come up with one line! How are you going to build a hook and keep it Biblical and make sure it's linear and have a bridge if you can't write one line? One line!
  
  
• It's been 20 minutes and nothing has happened. You could be doing a lot of other stuff right now. Stuff that actually matters to people. Stuff that will bless and lead and encourage them. Why are you so selfish?

I have these thoughts a lot. And the truth is that I don't have comebacks for them. More often than not, I put my guitar down and think, "You're right. I'm done."

But I do know that God calls us to do things. And He gifts us to do those things.

I don't know how to stop those thoughts, but I know what God's called me to be. And if I'll remember that, suddenly, the 20 minutes spent exercising my gift in glory to Him becomes time well spent.