Gloria Gaynor’s message to young people: Jesus thought you were 'to die for,' live for Him
Legendary songstress Gloria Gaynor, well recognized globally for the disco anthem "I Will Survive," is starring in a new film. Like her character on screen, the icon has shared a message of hope with the next generation.
The Grammy Award-winner made her acting debut in the inspirational movie "The Thursday Night Club," now streaming on Pure Flix. Gaynor plays a doctor in the holiday film that encourages the pay-it-forward motto, particularly among young adults.
"I love Christmas. It has always been my favorite holiday, and to have a part in a film that comes out at Christmas, and it's so apropos for Christmas, was just wonderful for me. It was something I jumped at the chance to do," Gaynor shared in a recent video interview with The Christian Post.
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The 79-year-old performer said messages of hope are best received during Christmas because people's "hearts are most open."
"At Christmas time, people's hearts are most open to sharing and caring, and I just love that this film is all about sharing and caring with your fellow man," she continued.
Gaynor is a very outspoken Christian, although her success is predominantly in mainstream entertainment. She explained why being a Christ follower is so important to her.
"To be a member of the body of Christ is just so wonderful," Gaynor testified, "so much more wonderful than most people even can begin to understand — the love, the mercy, the grace, the joy, the peace, the guidance, the wisdom, the knowledge, the understanding, the discernment that He is constantly offering to us is priceless, absolutely priceless!"
"None of the things that we run after in life nowadays don't begin to compare ... to the joy and the value of being a member of the body of Christ," she added.
When asked what advice she has for younger people today, the New Jersey native said she has suggestions she could offer but decided to home in on sharing the love of Jesus.
"There's an expression that young people say like a girl will tell somebody about a dress, 'Oh that dress is to die for,' or she saw this guy and 'he was to die for.' The guys are talking about, 'this player is to die for,' all these kinds of things. They don't realize that Christ thought you were to die for," she declared.
"He thought you were to die for, and He didn't just die for us, He died a horrible, agonizing death that He knew, way in advance, what it was going to be like, and He loved us that much. So when someone loves you that much and is all-knowing, omnipotent and omniscient, you know that He is going to be the only one who knows and wants only what's best for you."
Gaynor compared God's love to that of a good parent who does what is best for their children.
"He only wants what's best for us, and nothing that He tells us is unnecessary," the disco legend maintained. "Nothing that He tells us is not good for us. Everything is good; every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights."
Along with "The Thursday Night Club," Gaynor has a biographical documentary about her life coming out about next year.
"It's going to be talking about my life from very early on until current times. It's going to be showing my faith," the singer commented.
"What I hope that people get from [the documentary] is faith," she added. "If they don't know the Lord, I hope they become curious, curious enough to seek Him out because He's always seeking us out. So just to turn around and say, 'OK, I'm ready. Let me see what you got, let me hear what you got to say, just open to it.'"
Gaynor concluded with a final plea for anyone questioning whether to follow God.
"It's not as if you can't walk away from it. If you don't like it, if you're not having fun, if you're not feeling blessed beyond measure," she added. "But you won't, you won't. Once you feel His love, you will never walk away!"
Gaynor fully surrendered her life to Jesus in her 30s at the height of her success. She has remained a witness for Christ to this day and released a gospel album titled Testimony in 2019.
Jeannie Ortega Law is a reporter for The Christian Post. Reach her at: [email protected] She's also the author of the book, What Is Happening to Me? How to Defeat Your Unseen Enemy Follow her on Twitter: @jlawcp Facebook: JeannieOMusic
