VL - Issue 34 - January 2020

STEPPING FORWARD
Finding
Your
Eternal
Value
BY KENNY MUNDS
When Kenny found his 1973
Academy of Country Music
Award in his backyard shed,
he realized how much God
has changed his priorities.
I REALIZED RECENTLY THAT I’VE BEEN
hoarding some material things in my shed that
are no longer useful to me. In light of that revelation,
I decided it was time to clean it out.
One of the most interesting objects I stumbled
upon was my 1973 Academy of Country Music
Award. Our band, Brush Arbor, won Best Vocal
Group that year, along with another award for
Touring Band of the Year. The two trophies went
to our manager at the time, while the six members
of the band went home empty handed. A
year or so later, he presented each of us with a
copy of the award.
For years, I’d kept that trophy in a protective
case. I’d displayed it proudly in my living room.
It had meant a lot to me. Yet now, it was lying unprotected
in a box, with smudges and scratches
on what used to be a shiny, polished surface. It’s
funny how our values change over time.
For much of my life, I thrived on presenting
myself with impressive credentials like, “Academy
of Country Music Award Winner!” “Toured
with Johnny Cash!” “Appeared on the Grand Ole
Opry!” “Worked onstage in Las Vegas!” Hearing
those things made me feel important. And for
some reason, they seemed to make other people
think I was important too.
Today, however, I live in a one-room studio
apartment right down the street from the Family
Dollar in a small town with four stoplights, far
from the attention and bright lights I’d craved.
I used to thrive on performance and recognition.
My only goal was to be a country music
star. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, but anyone
aspiring world fame for their own glory will find
themselves headed to a dead-end life. I know. I
lost everything I valued, all for the “glory” of my
addiction to booze and low self-esteem.
But in that loss, I found something else that
will never lose its value: I found Jesus.
These days, I understand how unimportant all
those things are apart from knowing Christ. Like
Paul says in Philippians 3:8: “Everything else is
worthless when compared with the infinite value
of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I
have discarded everything else, counting it all
as garbage, so that I could gain Christ.”
When I turned my focus to Him, listened for
His voice, and gave my musical talents to Him, I
found living hope. I found a life of purpose. I found
salvation and love that can never be taken away.
I no longer stand on large stages or travel the
world. I live alone now; I even lost my little dog
last year and my phone seldom rings. My stage
is usually a prison yard or chapel.
The fast life with all that stuff I thought was
important is far behind me, and I’m glad because
now my life has eternal purpose. When I surrendered
my musical talents to God and sought to
use them for His glory, He gave me a front-row
seat to seeing lives change from despair to hope…
from death to life. There’s nothing greater.
Today, my desire is that I’ll live a life of faith
that only seeks God’s approval, so that when the
time comes and I enter heaven’s gates, He will
greet me with these words: “Well done, my good
and faithful servant. You have been faithful in
handling this small amount, so now I will give
you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate
together!” (Matthew 25:23).
Maybe you’re like me and you’ve valued the
things of this world over eternal things like
knowing God. Maybe you’ve even got a shed full
of stuff to prove it. Let’s empty our sheds and let
go of our past. Let’s get to know Jesus. He is the
only thing worth holding on to.
KENNY MUNDS takes the good news of God’s love and
forgiveness into prisons across America. To learn more
about his ministry, go to kennymundsministry.org.
VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM
Issue 01 / 2020
33