Pursuing Passion

We can be challenged to make sure that we are sowing good seeds in our lives - being dedicated to the ways of God and not giving up when tested, being diligent in our pursuits. Galatians 6 says:
7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

We are called to do our work as unto the Lord and to adopt that mindset that we are to do all things for His glory.  There will no doubt be challenges, and we will fall short from time to time; we might experience what we would consider to be defeat.  But, in the midst of it all, God gives us the wherewithal to keep at it, to keep sowing the good seeds, to make decisions that are consistent with His Word, and to see Him do incredible things in and through us.

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God wants us to continue to look to Him, to trust Him with our lives and to not give up in the pursuits to which He has called us. Philippians 3 states:
13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,
14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

When he was a child, Rudy and his family escaped the brutal Castro regime in Cuba.  Looking back, he believes it was "God's great plan" for him and his family, according to a piece on The Christian Post website.  He almost squandered his opportunity, though; he relates:

During my adolescent years, making the wrong turn in life and choosing bad decisions landed me in a juvenile detention center in Okeechobee, Florida. While there, I turned to the Lord who has since showered me with blessings and a wonderful family and successful career.

Regarding the grace of God, Rudy says, "It rescued me. My faith is very simple. It has always been childlike with the trust that the Bible is true and the Gospel is true. Faith has never been complicated for me. That was instilled in me by my grandfather first, and my dad who also became a minister. As a young man, after having gotten mixed up in drugs and nearly dying, I returned to my faith in Christ and it has been a strong part of my life ever since."

Rudy pursued a career in music, and he was named by Billboard magazine as "Producer of the Decade."  The article reports that Rudy Perez is a co-founder of both the Latin Grammys and the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame.  And he has written a memoir entitled, The Latin Hitmaker: My Journey from Cuban Refugee to World Renowned Record Producer and Songwriter.

He's worked with some of the biggest names in the music business:  Beyonce, Christina Aguilera, Marc Anthony.  He has been involved with over 300 No. 1 songs!!  He states that "I felt that my greatest testament to the stars I worked with was how I lived my life and followed a godly path."

He has followed what he believes his life's purpose is: to make "beautiful music."  He relates: "We know that the first thing we know about God in the Bible was that He created. So the fact that He allows me to take part in the creative process every day is just amazing to me. 

He goes on: "To make something from nothing that touches millions of people is all I want. And I pray that God gives me health and time to do it all!"

Rudy Perez relates to the Post about the message of the new biographical book: "Trust in God; be humble, be grateful, and the rest is up to the effort that you put into your work," adding, "I want people to walk away from reading the book inspired by my story and knowing they can also achieve their dreams."

Apparently, Rudy Perez had a desire to be a light in an industry that has its share of darkness. He overcome personal adversity, and through faith in God and hard work, he achieved so much.  The entertainment industry certainly has its pitfalls, and it's refreshing to hear about people who proclaim their faith in Christ and are devoted to following Him in their work.

We can consider these principles, based on this story:

Keep pressing on. It would have been very easy to give up, but Rudy Perez followed His passion, which was tied in with his faith in Christ.  Prison wasn't the end for him; it was the beginning of a long and stellar career.

Keep the fire burning.  He felt that walking the walk of Christ before others was the most effective way to reach them with spiritual truth.  Hopefully, our love for Christ will be contagious to the people with whom we interact, and we can be sensitive to opportunities to point others to Him.

Keep the focus on the Lord.  We are directed in Scripture to do all that we do for His glory, to do our work as unto Him.  Our professions can provide us with the contexts in which we can honor God.