CeCe Winans on The Kitchen Sink
by Monica P. Watkins
Let’s talk about your upcoming release Thy Kingdom Come. Tell us where the title came from?
Well, I was in prayer one day, praying about the record and just praying about which direction the Lord would have me to go in, and “Kingdom” just came in my spirit. I wanted to create something that will encourage the church to be the church. We’re living in a day when we see a lot of compromise, but if we’re going to possess the power that we’re supposed to possess, we have to live uncompromising lives. So it’s about building the Kingdom, encouraging the church to praise God and to love God, and reminding us of the authority that we have in Jesus Christ. I think a lot of times we as Christians get beat up more than we should, because I think we forget who we possess inside. So that’s where the title of it came from. Throughout the whole process it was always in my mind, “Kingdom, Kingdom, Kingdom”, and hopefully we’ve made God proud.
The lyrical content of your music inspires me, as well as countless other people around the world. Whose music/lyrics inspire you most?
Well you know what? A lot of people. I think we have a lot of great writers out there and a lot of great songs that you can relate to, because we’re all more alike than we are different. I love Andraé Crouch. I’ve loved him for years, since I was a kid. I love his lyrics and his music, because to me it was second to none. It showed that Gospel music could be done in excellence, and he’s continued to do that. His legacy is just incredible. I love Kirk Franklin’s lyrics. Fred Hammond is a great worshipper. I love his stuff! And Marvin Winans...and I’m not saying that because he’s my brother, but he’s one of the greatest writers that I’ve ever heard. He’s a great singer, but his writing is just...He was anointed to write. So, I love songs that people can relate to. Some of my songs I write, but a lot of them I don’t write, because if I hear a song and it ministers to me, then I know I can minister it to other people.
Not only do you bless others through your music, but you also have a conference that blesses the lives of teen girls. The Always Sisters conference has been extremely successful. What's one thing about today’s young women that inspired you to host this type of event?
I don’t think there is just one thing. I think the main thing was the theme for the first year. The thing I wanted to get across to them [that year] was for them to leave there knowing who they were and whose they were. I think that’s really the root of the problem. They deal with low self-esteem. They deal with looking for love in all the wrong places. They deal with not loving themselves and trying to be something that they’re not; taking the wrong cues from different people. They don’t know who they are and whose they are, and so I would say that’s the number-one problem. If God is for you, who can be against you? So if we can get young ladies to realize that they’re princesses, that they deserve the best and God is on their side, then they will strive (again) to “seek first the Kingdom of God”. Then they’re guaranteed success. You’re guaranteed to be successful if you stay in the will of the Lord. There’s no defeat in Him. It’s just hard to get them to see that, but they’re getting it. I’m excited about the conference because of the letters I’ve received, and I’ve seen ladies leave changed. I know it’s not a temporary change, but it’s an eternal change. So I’m just excited about what God is going to continue to do through the conference.
Matthew 6:33, “seek first the Kingdom of God….” is a scripture I use to govern all aspects of my life. You mentioned this passage as you spoke about the young ladies, and your new project has a Kingdom inspired title and theme. Is this a scripture you use to govern your life as well?
Actually, within my CD cover for this project I have about four scriptures, and that’s one of the scriptures. That’s the first one you’ll see, and yes, it does govern my life. I believe it’s a scripture that should govern every believer’s life. Sometimes it’s easy to lose focus with all of the different distractions you have – worrying about how you’re going to get paid, how ends are going to meet; we forget that when you’re part of the Kingdom the King takes care of you. And He doesn’t use the same system the world uses, but He takes pride in taking care of His people, so we really don’t have to worry about that. If we would all just “seek ye first the Kingdom of God”, if we would all say, “Lord what is your will for my life? How can I please you? What do you want me to do?” God knows us better than we know ourselves, and He’s created us all for a certain purpose and a certain place. Again, when you think about Kingdom you think about all of us being in our places, because we’re a body, and we need each other. I need you. You need me. God has called us all to do unique things. We have unique talents. When we really live by that scripture, it means that we trust God. It means that we really trust His word, and we can’t trust Him and not trust Him at the same time. We tie His hands when that happens. This is a faith walk, and when we walk by faith and not by sight it allows God to be God; He begins to do those things that only He can do. We have to trust Him. His picture is so much bigger than ours, and we waste so much time trying to do things our way.
Well, it’s obvious you trust Him with your music, because you have been around for a long time now. What is the secret to your longevity?
The secret to my longevity is my relationship with God. My desire is that I’m in the center of His will – whether that’s making records, whether that’s teaching or speaking, whether that’s at home with my children – I just want to be in the center of His will. As long as I’m in the center of His will I feel like people will always be able to relate. When He tells me to stop, I’ll stop. Sometimes I think a lot of people continue to do things even when God has told them to move to something different. God shifts us. It has to continue to be fruitful, and as long as the Lord wants me out here, He’s going to make sure that it’s making a difference. I believe when you’re making a difference you’ll stay in the game.
