Josh Lauritch “Why Are You Here”

I’m feeling really insecure this week. I feel like I’m a failure…like I’ll never measure up. I’m dealing with a lot of shame for how I respond to things that stress me out. I’m drawn to my sin in such an intense way. Honestly, some days, I feel like I’m an imposter…like I’ll be found out. How’s that for an intro?

If you know me, you know I’m passionate about the music I represent and even more passionate about the truth of the gospel. I can talk a big game about it and truly have a story to tell of God’s faithfulness to my family. I can get all up in my feelings and really connect with music and with others who are suffering. I’ve seen the other side of so many difficult things…yet I’m drawn back to sin. I’m deceived into thinking that success, pride, accolades, money, status, clients, food, possessions or other’s opinions of me will satisfy me and make me finally feel like I’m enough. Only Jesus will do this.

I am a hypocrite.

So why am I writing about this? You are too! 😊 Romans 3:12 says, “There is no one who does good, not even one.” It takes a constant renewing of my mind to embrace the reality that God doesn’t have me in the place He’s put me in because I’m awesome. He has me here because He is good and He chooses to use me. I’m a sinner. I’m arrogant. I’m insecure. I’m afraid. I get angry way too easily. I’m too competitive and petty. I keep a record of wrongs. I lean on my own understanding far too much. Yet, He chooses to use me.

You and I have an opportunity to bring the hope of Jesus to the world through music and radio and through the way we interact with each other. To do that well, I have to get out of my own head and out of my own way. I have to look up in the midst of my failure. I have to put my eyes back on Jesus and remember what He’s accomplished on my behalf because of the cross. He has paid my debt! I am a sinner and I deserve death. I am a hypocrite. When I talk to radio friends about songs I believe in that have impacted my life, I can be honest about this while also being a complete mess. I do not have to allow the enemy to pound me into the ground with guilt and shame. Jesus has paid for it.

Why are you here? There might be a ton of reasons why you got into Christian radio or Christian music as a way of making a living. If you are reading this and have committed to follow Jesus, you are here to make much of Him. Do not be deceived. There is nothing better than making much of Jesus to a suffering and hopeless world. If you find yourself consumed with worry or pride over revenue or ratings, your income, your status in the business, your title, which market you work in, who employs you, the power you hold over others, the influence you have or don’t have in your business, your insecurities or so many other things that will destroy you. Repent. Refocus. Look to Jesus. The reality is that He will use you in spite of yourself. Such grace! He will take your failures, embarrassments, suffering, sin and mistakes and use them for good. He promised this in Romans 8:28 when Paul writes “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

My encouragement today is this: set aside your insecurity and the guilt and shame you carry and look to Jesus. Let Him refresh your heart as you open the mic and talk to your listeners, pick up the phone to call a programmer about new music, walk into the sharathon planning meeting…you are not here for your own awesomeness and neither am I. We are here for the glory of God. He will use us and all our mess to bring good for us in our future and to bring Himself glory. There is such joy in joining Him! Don’t miss it by sitting in shame. Rise up! There is a world of people out here like a dry, ancient sponge just waiting to soak up a drop of hope. This is why we are here.

Josh Lauritch began his career in Christian radio in 2003 at Salem Communications 105.3 The Fish in Milwaukee, WI in 2003 where he served as promotions director, mid-day host and assistant program director. In 2006, he moved his family to Nashville, TN where he worked as Manager of National Promotion at EMI CMG (Sparrow Records, Forefront Records, sixstepsrecords). During Lauritch’s time at EMI, he was responsible for promoting the music of Chris Tomlin, David Crowder Band, Matt Redman, Kristian Stanfill, Christy Nockels, Passion, Britt Nicole, TobyMac, Mandisa, Matthew West, Switchfoot, Josh Wilson and many others to Christian radio. During his tenure at EMI CMG, he worked seventeen (17) #1 songs to Christian AC and Hot AC/CHR along with multiple Top 5 and Top 10 songs at each format. 

Following his initial stint in radio promotion, Lauritch served as Director of Brand Management for Word Entertainment from 2010-2013 where he launched the careers of Grammy Award winner for KING & COUNTRY, Dara Maclean and Everfound. In addition to breaking these new artists at the format, Lauritch led on-going marketing and brand management initiatives for Group 1 Crew, NEEDTOBREATHE, BarlowGirl, Sidewalk Prophets and Jason Castro.

In 2013, Josh Lauritch founded an artist management company called 55 MGMT where he oversaw the careers of Britt Nicole, Sarah Reeves, Erik Nieder and Kaleidoscope. Lauritch also provided consulting services for Method Management (Matthew West, Josh Wilson, Everfound and All Things New) and Smallbone Management (for KING & COUNTRY) from 2014-2015.

Since founding 55 Promotion in 2015, Lauritch has partnered on the marketing and promotion of various songs at Christian radio from clients including Lauren Daigle, Cory Asbury, One Sonic Society, Jordan Feliz, Elevation Worship, for KING & COUNTRY, Maverick City Music, Bethel Music, Josh Baldwin, Danny Gokey, Vertical Worship, We Are Messengers, Sidewalk Prophets, Blanca, Sarah Reeves, Francesca Battistelli, Joshua Micah, Brandon Lake, Kari Jobe, Pat Barrett, Passion, Hillsong United, Jonathan and Melissa Helser, Jenn Johnson, Josh Wilson, Matty Mullins, Hannah Kerr, Cade Thompson, Charlie Rey, Alive City and others. Contact Josh at josh@55promotion.com.