45 Things I Wish I Knew When I Started Leading Worship - Part 4 - The Hard Part
Because ministry will break your heart sometimes—but Jesus will hold it together.
Worship leader, this one’s for the moments you wanted to quit.
Not because you don’t love Jesus.
Not because you don’t believe in the power of worship.
But because serving is hard.
No one told me how heavy the weight of ministry would feel some days.
No one warned me that leading people to Jesus could come with battle scars.
No one said the stage could feel like the loneliest place in the room.
But here’s what I’ve learned through every tear, tension, and “I don’t know if I can do this anymore” moment:
JESUS NEVER ASKED US TO CARRY IT ALONE.
He didn’t call you to perform—He called you to walk with Him, serve with Him, hurt with Him, and love like Him.
So here it is—raw, honest, and real. This is the hard part of worship leading.
💔 THE HARD PART
1. It’s gonna feel like work some days.
Reminder: You don’t work for Jesus—you work with Him. He WANTS to be involved in every chord, every rehearsal, every conversation. Your first call isn’t to do something FOR GOD - it’s to be WITH GOD. Out of that time with Him He will call and equip you to go out and be His hands and feet - working TOGETHER with Him.
For we are laborers together with God. 1 CORINTHIANS 3:9
2. People are going to hurt you.
Even the ones you serve most closely. But Jesus' love? It never fails. He calls us to turn the other cheek, forgive, and lovingly serve.
3. You’re going to feel alone most of the time.
But you’re not. Jesus is as close as the whisper of His name. In moments of the deepest loneliness Jesus is waiting for you to call on Him.
4. Be prepared to battle frustration—with people and equipment.
Frustration is a part of life. Things don’t always go your way. Things are out of your control or above your pay grade. We want to understand why, but sometimes things happen and we don’t get the answers. People can be the biggest source of frustration (well I’m not sure anything will ever top the printer at my first church! Sometimes I had to lay hands on it... and not always the holy kind. 😅)
5. You’re gonna feel too young to do this.
It’s a lie. God doesn’t call the qualified—He qualifies the called. Be brave, be bold, find a mentor and sit at their feet. Ask a lot of questions. Take a lot of notes. Get busy doing what God has called you to do.
6. You’re gonna feel too old to do this.
Still a lie. If you’re still breathing, you’re still called. Your wisdom and experience make you dangerous to the devil and he wants you to believe the lie and fade away. Not me - if I’m not dead, I’m not done!
7. Never say never.
God has a sense of humor. Trust me. He has a strange ability to take your “nevers” and turn them into your call. Stay open to whatever His plan and will are. Pray the dangerous prayers and boldly say yes to Him.
8. You can’t save people who don’t want to be saved.
You don’t do the saving. That’s not your job. Obedience is. Leave the results to Him.
And when you go into a household, greet it. If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. MATTHEW 10: 12-14
(Peace is a powerful friend)
9. Know when to say no.
If you say yes to all the good ideas, it’ll rob you of your ability to say yes to the God ideas. Not every good idea is a God idea for your life. Prayerfully protect your yes.
💥 CALL TO ACTION:
🎯 Worship leader—it’s okay to admit this is hard.
What’s not okay is giving up before you let Jesus carry it with you.
🛑 And before you scroll away—pause. Breathe.
Whisper His name. Let Him remind you:
You’re not alone. He’s in this with you. And He’s not going anywhere.