Gifted for God’s Glory
TACKLING THE GIANTS: Influencing your world
by Jill Marie Cooper
It’s been a joy with Jill Marie Cooper bringing her special gift to KT this passed year; from solos on a Sunday to performing at the recent Naomi Children Fund concert – whilst catching her passion in letting everyone know, whenever and wherever she performs outside the four walls of Church, that God is the driving force behind her life and source of this Gift!
Let’s hear a little more from Jill and her journey…
I came to Christ in 2009, when I went to visit a friend in Canada. It was definitely at a time in my life in which I was pretty broken for many reasons, and the trip resulted in me giving my life to the Lord, which then led me on a path of learning about the things of God and his purposes for my life.
I am a singer by trade, and I also write songs. As I started to learn about the things of God my message and the things I was writing about started to change.
Not out of religion, but out of recognising my own pain, and wanting others to know that they are not alone.
Up until my walk with God began, I had tried for so long to fit into the ‘music industry’ ideas of who I thought I was ‘supposed’ to be, but was always left feeling empty as a result.
Slowly but surely God started transforming me and I wanted to tell a different story. One I believe is more in-keeping with where God is now taking me. It is an ongoing journey to trust God wholeheartedly in my career, but one that is more than worth it.
The crazy thing is that the more I focus on God, the more he continues to bless me in my career. I believe he wants us to have wonderful careers and lives, but I also believe he doesn’t want those things to have us. I have learned the difference and often the hard way! Along my journey, I had the amazing opportunity of appearing on The Voice. Though I wouldn’t say I was as strong in the Lord as I am now at that point in my life on the show, God always showed himself strong in my weakness! I remember will.i.am himself asking me, “What is your driving force?” to which I responded “God’’.
The more I started to make God the centre of all I do, the more opportunities started coming my way. A year and a half after I appeared on The Voice, I starred in a musical called Love Beyond playing the part of Mary Magdalene at The Brighton Centre and then Wembley Arena the following year! The show was a real turning point for me in the faith as I worked with some people that loved God more than anything in the world.
It was inspiring to see, and it challenged me in the best possible way to pursue Jesus more and more. In the show I had the honour of playing Mary at the moment that she is the first person to see the risen Christ, and as a result she falls at his feet. The show brought me into a more intimate relationship with the Lord and affected me in a profound way. I am currently working on my own original music, and I really feel that Gods hand is on the project.
Some of the Kensington Temple core worship team musicians are part of my live band. I am currently an independent artist, and I invest into my own music with the money I earn from various functions that I get to do.
I am excited about this next season in my career, and I hope to share the Gospel more and more with the people I meet in my line of work. I often evangelise to musicians as they drive me home from late night wedding gigs. It doesn’t get any more raw than that! ❖
We’re equally excited to see where God will lead Jill in the months and years to come. Link up with Jill yourself on Facebook, and keep abreast of all her latest music and video’s through her You Tube Channel.
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