Are You Inspired?
The world mourned the passing of perhaps its brightest star in the drumming world last week. Neil Peart, the famed drummer from Canadian rock band Rush, passed away on January 7, 2020 of brain cancer. He was 67.
Peart was considered by many to be the greatest drummer of his generation. He inspired legions of drummers and other musicians with his skill, passion, and creativity. His legendary body of work on songs from Anthem (1975) to BU2B (2012) has influenced countless others to follow in his wake, including respected drummers like Dave Grohl.
Even though Peart inspired many younger music lovers, he himself was inspired by musicians that came before him. In interviews, he has often named legends such as Keith Moon, John Bonham, Gene Krupa, and Buddy Rich as his inspirations, the people he looked up to and wanted to emulate.
We all need inspirations in order to become the best versions of ourselves. Who knows if Neil Peart would have become the great drummer that he was if it hadn't been for the inspirations in his life?
“We all need inspirations in order to become the best versions of ourselves.”
This leads to the key question: who are you inspired by? Many people today would have trouble answering this question. Some have never even given it any thought. Either we are blind to the amazing people around us and take them for granted, never learning anything from them, or we haven't been intentional enough about surrounding ourselves with people of excellence or learning about them through books and other media.
Inspirations in Scripture
The Bible contains several figures who served as inspirations for other people in Scripture. Moses, as Israel's great leader, served as the inspiration for Joshua, who by some standards met or exceeded his predecessor in leadership. In 2 Kings 2:9, Elisha asks for a double portion of Elijah's spirit and is granted his request, performing twice as many miracles as his mentor and main inspiration.
The Apostle Paul knew very well the importance of giving people an example to follow and strove to be an inspiration to his people. Two times in his first letter to the Corinthians he urges them to look to him as an inspiration: "Imitate me as I imitate Christ." (1 Cor. 4:16; 11:1) He also explicitly states his desire to be an example for others to follow. In Philippians 3:17, he writes,
Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.
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A similar expression can be found in 2 Thessalonians 3:9. Clearly, Paul had no problem telling people to imitate him because he knew of the importance of having inspirations to follow. Inspirational people help us rise above ourselves.
Of course, the greatest inspirational figure in the Bible and in human history is Jesus Christ. He is the definition of the perfect model we are to follow (1 Tim. 1:16). In His final lesson to His disciples before His crucifixion, Jesus washed the disciples' feet and said,
For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. (John 13:15)
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Jesus's life and ministry are the divine inspiration for how we are to live our own lives. His example of love, humility, sacrifice, and service ought to inform and influence everything about the way we interact and relate to others.
Be Intentionally Inspired
So, once again, who are you inspired by? We can all point to Christ as our primary inspiration, but there's a reason Scripture urges us to look to others in addition to Jesus as sources of inspiration. God has given us a whole host of men and women of faith, a "cloud of witnesses" to stir up our faith and to motivate our hearts (Heb. 11:1 - 12:2).
If you're having trouble naming specific individuals you look up to and want to emulate, I urge you to take some time to think about the issue and be intentional about having mentors and godly influences in your life. Because birds of a feather flock together, it's vital for spiritual growth to surround ourselves with people of excellence.
Every Christian should be both discipling and being discipled. Don't be afraid to approach someone you look up to and ask him or her to mentor you, even for a season. And include biographies of noteworthy Christians in your reading list; reading biographies is one of the best ways to learn from the wisdom of the past and grow stronger in the present. Just look at the enormous influence 18th-century preacher and theologian Jonathan Edwards has had on the life and ministry of John Piper.
Every musician of substance can point to other musicians as influences and inspirations who have motivated them and helped to shape their musical style and personality. And just as musicians are able to look to other musicians in this way, so should Christians be able to look to other believers. After all, being inspired by others is one of the keys to becoming inspirational people ourselves.