Author: Bobby Bishop
Published: February 17, 2005
Tool: [ email ]
I have a daughter or son on the way as I write this, as my wife of nearly five years and I are expecting our first child. I don't know if it's a boy or a girl, yet, but it doesn't even matter, truthfully. I'm just excited to be a dad. For a long time now, I've mentored teenagers in an urban atmosphere, and unfortunately the majority of them fall into the category of "fatherless." Thus, I've taken on that role in some aspects with many of them. No, I could never replace a real father. That requires being fully present and invested into a life (I'm about to find out!). But on some levels, God has allowed me to fulfill the role of alpha male in their lives, as their pastor.
Rewind ten years back, and I never would have guessed God would have put this much responsibility on me. I was a teenager, acting a fool. I knew God because my parents raised me to know Him, but I was sort of "fence straddling" between a relationship with God, and what the world had to offer me. I knew in my heart, though, that the attributes God had wove into my person would be put to His use, but it was all up to me.
Fast-forward ten years, and here I am, a pastor and a rapper. I won't tell you the whole bumpy ride, but it's been bumpy. There have been times when throwing in the towel were tempting, but God held me close. Now, God's given me the responsibility to pastor a flock of teenagers, and He's recently given me a platform to share my music internationally through a record label. I want to affect individual lives by building relationships, and I want to dent hiphop culture as we know it. All big stuff, but all to His credit.
Seem kind of gassed up, don't I? Truthfully, when I tell you it's not to my credit, believe I mean it because God's been writing and rewriting this story in people's lives for a LONG time. In Genesis 37, we find Joseph. He 17 years old and he's having dreams that foretell his rule over people, specifically his own family. The crazy thing is, he GETS it at that early age, that God is letting him know there's big plans on the horizon. What Joseph probably didn't understand at the time, though, was that the road to this position was going to be ROCKY. Long story short, Joseph is sold into slavery by his brothers, and works his way up through tremendous opposition before finally being placed into a position of authority and leadership. The bible says he's thirty years old before he's placed second to the Pharoah, and he's forty-five before all of his dreams come to pass.
From the time Joseph has his first dream, to the time he reaches his authority position, thirteen years have passed. It took thirteen years for Joseph to learn and grow through struggle and triumph. It took another fifteen for his predictions to come to pass. Through it all, the point was that he was to trust and obey God.
That's my word. God may have placed a vision on your heart already, and the road to get there may seem impossible. The vision may seem too large. Your might not even feel worthy of the responsibility. Thing is, God gives vision for a reason. He wants you to change the world for His sake
Bobby Bishop
bobby@beatmart.com
bobbybishop.com
beatmart.com
"Government Name" drops March 22 on Beatmart/WEA
