By Gavin Boyle
Forrest Frank explained why he will no longer attend award ceremonies, sparking a conversation among Christian artists about how much they should benefit from their fame.
“For Christians, it’s hard to know where the line in the sand is between being in the world and not of the world. And as a Christian artist, you know, I dress kind of like the world. I kind of look like the world. My music can kind of sound like the world. So, where’s the line in the sand drawn? And I’m convicted…personally that a line that I can draw is that: I will not receive a trophy for something that is from Jesus and for Jesus,” Frank said.
“I feel a conviction to go even a step further and say, I don’t know if I even want to step on the stage. I don’t know if I even want to step in the room. And so, I have decided to take a stance of non-participation,” he added. “I will not be attending the Doves or the Grammys. I hope to be an example to the youth that the trophy is our salvation. The trophy is that my name is listed in the Book of Life and I get to have eternal life. What good is a piece of metal going to do compared to that?”
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Frank’s stance is very interesting and poses an even deeper question for Christian artists about whether they should receive any compensation for their work, or if their reward should be knowing that they are bringing others closer to Christ.
“This is an interesting take — I dig it,” Jelly Roll said in the comments of Frank’s video. “How do you think this compares as profiting from the same music. I love that you said, ‘I don’t want to get a trophy for something that’s from Jesus for Jesus,’ which is awesome — but also making MILLIONS of dollars doing that same thing that is from Jesus for Jesus.”
This question is powerful, given that finding success in the entertainment industry also comes with access to immense resources, often including wealth. The answer to these questions lie in the Bible.
“Do you not know that in a race all runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air,” Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 9:24-26.
Thus, Christian artists need to check their hearts and consider why they are doing what they do.
If it is to further the kingdom first and foremost, then they can enjoy the secondary fruits of their labor as long as they do not take their eyes off of the Lord. However, if they enter the worship industry with the goal of making money and accruing fame, then their success is only poison for them as it leads them further from the Lord.
Additionally, what one person may be convicted by another may not be. Thus, while Frank has felt the Lord calling him to forgo award shows, that does not mean other Christian artists are committing a sin when they attend those same events.
“Whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin,” Paul explains in Romans 14:22-23.
Frank serves as an example for all Christians in upholding his convictions and, by sharing his thoughts, has sparked a conversation about how Christians can be in the world but not of it — a line that is extremely difficult to get right but is an important part of the faith walk.
Read Next: How a Prophetic Dream Launched Forrest Frank’s Career
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