The Teenaged Taylor was Cool

In early April 2007, our family took a spring trip to the country music capital of the world, Nashville, TN.  While there, we went to the Grand Ole Opry on a beautiful, warm Saturday evening.  The Grand Ole Opry is a long-standing theatre and country music institution, and its show is a made up of a collection of singers and musicians.  The Grammy Award-winning Alison Krauss highlighted the evening's performance, and we were eager to see her with many others thru the evening program.

Krauss was great, and many others were fun to see.  But it was a young, seventeen-year-old hopeful that stole the night.  She stepped onto the stage wearing a beautiful shiny dress.  They announced her name and that she would play the guitar and sing a couple of tunes from her new self-titled debut album.  We never saw nor heard of the mostly unknown Taylor Swift.  Her songs were lovely that evening, and her talent evident.  It was just the start.  Over the coming years, she blossomed in country music and expanded into the world of pop music and entertainment as well.  Her music grew to be famous around the world.  Now 29, she is considered one of the world's biggest entertainers and one of the most successful women in the world.

It was very "cool" to see and hear Taylor Swift before the world came to appreciate her talents.  She was "cool," and her songs great, but not inspiring, as I've come to understand the difference.

“Cool” is to believe someone is interesting, noteworthy, popular. “Inspiring” is cause a feeling of action because of who someone is or what they do. Too often, we confuse something or someone as inspiring, but our actions prove that in fact, we just thought they were "cool." If we are inspired, it causes us to act differently.  If Taylor inspired us, we would pick up a guitar and learn to sing and entertain, or at least have taken in more of her concerts!  She was amazing, but our family wasn't inspired.

Other people in our lives at the time inspired us.  They generally ranged from co-workers, other families, and friends who had attractive lives we wanted to emulate.  For some, it was their character that was a higher calling to us.  Others showed us the importance of a walk with God, responsibility in their work, the importance of being good parents, and being a light to others around them.  Their example caused a desire in us to emulate them.  We discussed and acted because of their role-model.  Additionally, some spiritual messages and classes inspired us too.  They were inspiring because of the action it caused in us.

This confusion between “cool” and “inspiring” was problematic in Jesus' world.  Often (Luke 14: 25, for example), we find large crowds of people swarming around him.  They saw healing's and miracles. They listened to his insightful messages.  We repeatedly see groups of people with Him throughout the gospels.  He was incredible!  Unfortunately, many of them followed under what might have felt like “inspiration,” but their true feelings showed the saw him as “cool.”  This is demonstrated by the fact that most of them didn't stick around to be a faithful follower (see John 6: 66).  Their actions prove that they thought Jesus was "cool," but they weren't really inspired.  After all the large crowds listened, followed, or spent time with Jesus during His three-year ministry, only 120 of them remained (Acts 1: 15) that were truly inspired.

We can deceive ourselves by saying we are “inspired” by something or someone when the reality is that this “inspiration” does not lead to action.  Like the listeners of Jesus, our real heart is indicated by our response.  “Inspiration” leads to imitation and action. It spreads to others around you.  Thinking something is "cool" leads to nothing other than perhaps a conversation.  Whether it is a spiritual message or a good book we find inspiring, let’s differentiate between the two words. If it is a person, a situation, or even God Himself, let’s be inspired to action. Don't be fooled by thinking you are doing something that you are not.  If inspired, be inspired to do, grow, and change. Leave “cool” for conversations.