Holly Starr--singer, songwriter, and touring artist--released her third studio project, Focus, on Oct. 2. Focus was produced by Chris Stevens (TobyMac, Mandisa, Jamie Grace), David Garcia (Group 1 Crew) and Chuck Butler (Royal Tailor).

 

At only 21 years old, Starr has toured the world and has collaborated with some of the most lauded writers and producers in the industry, such as Chris Stevens, Ian Eskelin, David Garcia, Chuck Butler, and Rusty Varenkamp, to name a few. She has released two previous projects, Tapestry (2010) and Embraced (2008), and has played some of the biggest Christian Music festivals, even opening for country star LeAnn Rimes. Now with Focus, Starr showcases her vibrant musical growth and maturity alongside her heart for worship.

 

The album's title track conveys what Starr has learned in this season of busyness. Co-written with Dove Award winner Rusty Varenkamp, the song teaches that activity does not have to cease to permit focus on God, and to focus in the middle of everything, even during life's chaos. Starr speaks from experience: "That's when the peace comes. Not only do I want to focus on God in terms of devotion and spending time in the word, I want to be able to do that as I'm walking through every day."

 

"Don't Have Love," the project's first radio single, is a modern retelling of 1 Corinthians 13 and is already reaching audiences in unexpected places. Starr says, "I've been able to sing it in a couple of public school assemblies. I'm singing the word of God in a public school!"

 

Raised in a Christian home on a farm in Quincy, Wash., Holly Starr is living a charming story and also living her dream. Writing songs and creating music ever since she was little, being discovered on the Internet, and now making albums and touring the country, Starr hasn't stopped going. This year alone, she has played the main stage at AtlantaFest, Lifest, Alive, Unity Fest, and more. 

 

Through it all, Starr embodies a firm desire for ministry and a well-established plan: "If you believe that God is bigger than everything we can see, and that He's more powerful than anything you've experienced, then you know that God's grace can intervene in any situation in your life. The impossible is not impossible." I had the chance to interview Holly about "Don't Have Love."

 

 

This is one of my favorite songs that came out of the writing process for this album. I was sitting in the studio with Chris Stevens and he and I were talking about God's love. There are so many songs about God's love, but you can always write about that topic. In my personal devotional time, I was studying 1 Corinthians 13--in particular, the part where it says that, "if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing." 

 

I know that I personally pray for more faith and more discernment and more wisdom. I think in our world, so many things are glorified: money, popularity, relationships. There's all these things glorified in our culture and in the song I'm singing about how we can do good things in the name of Christ. We can not have money or fame, however if what we are doing has the right motives, and if we're treating people with kindness and patience, God sees that and that matters to Him.

 

 

1 Corinthians 13:1-13: "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love."

 

 

What God has been showing me is that you can have all the faith in the world, and enough faith to move mountains, but if you don't have love, it is insignificant. I've been challenged by that, because I wasn't spending much time praying to have more love. Deeper than that, we know from Scripture that "God is love." As we seek Him, we'll find love. God is the source of everything in our lives. Having more of Him is what we need. For me, very tangibly, in the music business I want more radio airplay and opportunities to share the songs I'm writing. God's promise is to rest in the fact that He is my Creator and He is giving me these opportunities. This song reminds me to listen to Him and not worry about the future.

 

Regarding the album, it's ironic, the title being Focus, because it's been a hard year of doing that. But at the same time, God is teaching me. Before every show, my prayer with my band and my team is, "God, I believe with all my heart that if I'm focused on You in the midst of this, whenever I'm on stage, or in any area of my life, then You'll flow through me to whomever I'm ministering to." I want to be able to disciple kids that I really love in my life. But because of this calling, I'm not constant in people's lives. Learning to balance all that has been a challenge for me, but it's been a huge blessing to see how, when God calls us to something, He provides, and He gives time.

 

 

So often, even as Christians, we think by avoiding conflict and passively avoiding people in general means that we're following God's commands. However, we are called to actively love one another. There is a lot of great biblical truth throughout this catchy song "Don't Have Love." 

 

I think in our world, so many things are glorified: money, popularity, relationships. There's all these things glorified in our culture and in the song we're talking about how we can do good things in the name of Christ. We can move mountains, we can give away everything we have to the poor, the Bible tells us if we don't do those things in love, it is meaningless. There are days when I wake up and I am convicted to live out the words of the song and that Scripture passage. Today I'm going to be patient. Today I'm going to be kind. 

 

As Holly and I discussed the song and the profound message, we talked about how we are commanded to love others by Jesus. This song challenges me to think about how well I am loving others. The passage 1 John 4:19 says, "We love because He first loved us."  

 

As you listen to this great song by think about how well you are loving others and know that Jesus loves you and wants us to glorify Him. As the song proclaims, "Love's never selfish, love's never vain (you don't have love), Love doesn't criticize, love doesn't blame (you don't have love), From the beginning, through every age, Love is the one thing that's never gonna change."Amen to that!

 

(You can watch the music video here.)