Nicole C. Mullen Reflects on Her Insufficiencies
Nicole C. Mullen talks about her 20-year career
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – While Nicole C. Mullen graced the stage at the National Religious Broadcasters convention recently with two musical performances, she said in an interview this week that she always remembers how insufficient and unqualified she is.
Mullen is one of the most respected artists in contemporary Gospel and R&B. The winner of multiple Dove Awards and a Grammy Award revealed that even though her career proves her to be one of the most talented musicians, she doesn't cease to forget her humble background and that she is not the most qualified before God.
"I'm here not because I'm the greatest singer or the greatest writer, or because I'm the most qualified, I'm here because God decided saying, 'I'm going to use that one to show my glory' and that was His decision but it's for us to be available and to open up our lives to Him and say 'flow in me,'" said Mullen to The Christian Post.
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Mullen recalled that her lifelong career only allowed her to see that "the Lord is able to take the little and make it much."
At a glance, her life while growing up was far from glamorous. She was very upfront and said, "I see the hand of the Lord who can take a little girl from Cincinnati, who stuttered badly, who sucked her thumb, who wet the bed, who was least among us."
But despite her weaknesses, she was excited to say that through her ,God was able to prove that He could do something with "a nobody" for His glory. As she smiled she said that everything she has been able to accomplish was purely for His glory while proudly saying, "and that's probably my greatest reflection."
The 47-year-old wants people to remember that above being a singer she also wants to be looked at as a mother, a mentor, a wife and foremost as a lover of Christ.
Although being away from her husband and five children, two of whom are adopted, is one of the hardest things for her to do – as well as singing the same songs all the time – she knows that her sacrifice doesn't compare to Christ and that if everything was self-centered nothing would be done.
"When I remember that it's so not about me, it's not about how I feel, it's not about my agenda, but it's about His kingdom, it's about Him being glorified then all of the sudden, me shrinks and He grows and I think that's the object of it all."
Early this year, it was announced that Nicole will be formally inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame on Nov. 5. When asked about the best advice for aspiring artists, she said that "First of all I would say, take your gift and pray about it, give it to the Lord if you feel like he has gifted you to sing or to play or to do drama or anything in the arts make sure you are committed to Him" followed by a recipe of incessant practice.
She also wants them to know that if they have to begin their career by performing in small venues, or even nurseries or just in front of three people then let it be so because "if you are found faithful in the little then according to the scriptures He's able to make a little bit much."
Her formula for success constitutes of having absolute faith because without faith "we will lose a whole lot; we will not have gained anything."
Her new album "Captivated" was released early this month. This was her first worship project in partnership with Maranatha Music. The album is titled after the song, "Holy Captivated," a personal song that talks about how her "soul is commanded to bless you; it is a journey to scream out, Holy is the Lord God all mighty, worthy is the lamb to receive our greatest adoration."
Through her new songs she wishes to comfort people who only see disaster after disaster when they turn on the news, such as the recently uprisings in the Middle East, earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, and starving people.
Her concluding words were, "more than ever, we need for God to intervene, more than ever we need Christ to come and rescue us and so the song is a cry from our heart to His that 'Lord please let your kingdom, the domain where you sit as king and Lord."
"At the same time as believers in Jesus Christ [we need] to come forth, to arise to our places and to do what He has called us to do. He said 'I'll know that you are my disciples by the way that you love each other' and so we have plenty of opportunities on a daily basis to prove to the world that we love Jesus and the way that we actually love each other."
