There are many in the church like you, I was one of them too. I took the music route and had little success, a small recording contract, and I still have many friends who are in the business. It was a blessing for me that I wasn’t successful. While I had the talent to be successful, the music industry is not a loving forgiving industry. The deals you make physically and spiritually to become successful are not worth it. The mainstream music industry is one of the most filthy destructive businesses you can be in and it’s just not worth it. I too missed out on the opportunity to serve a mission and its regretful. I chose a path of destruction. Like you Christopher i began smoking weed and drinking, and eventually moved onto cocaine and other drugs. I eventually gravitated towards pornography and found myself in the grip of the adversary to the point of suicide. There are not many good clean stories in the music business, in fact if you don’t conform, you don’t make it. It’s really that simple. As much as I love music and still play it today, I would never encourage my children to participate in it, as the odds of survival are very low.

Christopher, walk away and serve the Lord, treasure up those things you love in heaven where they cannot rust, or be taken away by a thief. Jesus Christ gave up all things for you, for me and billions of people. He showed us the way little brother.

I was in a band that went on smaller tours, we were played on radio stations all over the country, played bigger shows in large cities and we hardly ever made a penny!

Instead we ended up spending a fortune on gear, gas, practice spaces, recording, etc. We even had a song in an oscar winning film and barely made a cent. No, it’s not that we had a bad agent – that’s just how the music business is, especially the rock music business.

I look back at it now as I’ve gotten a little older (though no one is calling me gramps yet ;) and recognize the very very strong influence of the adversary that led me in that direction and regrettably I listened. I have regretted my decision not to go on a mission and that opportunity has pasted.

The scriptures are pretty clear on how to proceed, see:

See Jacob 2: 18-19

18 But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God.

19 And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted.

Personally, I wish the person I am now could go back and shake some sense into the adolescent I was then and tell him to choose the right! Go on that mission! Serve the Lord! It will grow you in ways that you have never imagined and in ways that the World doesn’t have the ability to do.