Keeping faith in the secular pop industry

Originally published in Christian Today

Levi Mitchell is not your average teenager. At just 16-years-old, he has already released a solo album and was formerly a member of the ‘The Boy Band Project’, an LA-based five-piece group with a large US fan base.

However, a career in the music industry isn’t just what sets Levi apart. He has a strong Christian faith and has even set up a website named ‘Pure Till Marriage’ which encourages young people to make a pledge to abstain from sex until their wedding day.

While many teenage pop stars are infamous for their risqué behaviour, Levi is determined to stand up for his beliefs and “live a life worth imitating” within a secular industry.

During his time as part of The Boy Band Project, he requested that his lyrical content “never cross the line of his convictions about how a young man should act and carry himself”.

He often shares about his faith with fans through interviews and his personal Twitter and Facebook accounts.

When asked by a Christian apparel company what makes him “not of this world”, Levi replied: “My faith and my morals, stepping into a very secular realm … I’m going to be a light in a very dark realm, and fulfil the destiny that God has for me.”

Christian Today spoke with the teenage star to find out how he copes with the pressures of his career and manages to hold on to his faith in a difficult industry.

CT: What’s it like being a Christian in the music industry?

LM: Being in the music industry in general is a tough ‘dog eat dog’ world. Being a Christian in the music industry should affect the way you carry yourself, speak, watch what you do, and stay compliant to God’s word. He blesses us with overflowing opportunities.

CT: Is it difficult to stand up for your convictions?

LM: Yes, there is a thing called ‘the flesh’ and the flesh wants you to do the worldly things. But if you go into a situation with the full amour of God and let God use you as a light, it won’t be as hard.

CT: How do you manage to stay strong in your faith?

LM: I start my days off by prayer, a psalm and a proverb. It gets my day going in the right direction and it always opens my eyes to new things. It strengthens my faith knowing that there is more in store for me.

CT: How do you hope to inspire other young people?

LM: We are the next generation of leaders, entertainers, teachers etc. A generation who believes in God cannot lose. By showing and telling my peers that, I hope to have an impact and hope that they start to apply it to their daily mindset.

CT: Why are you so passionate about the Pure Till Marriage movement?

LM: Whenever I get asked that, I always start off with this: I get to avoid the comparison factor. When I do get married and enjoy God’s gift, I’m going to think it was the best thing I’ve ever had. I do believe it is in God’s intentions for you to wait until marriage for sex…but even if you have had sex before marriage, you can [take the pledge] now.

CT: What difference could young people make if they make the commitment to follow Jesus?

LM: The impact that young people could have if they made the commitment to follow Jesus is almost unimaginable. They would be able to do so many more things, when they decide to follow Jesus they are mind blown.