Mandisa Hundley

I've never watched American Idol (Joe has the remote), but I would have loved to hear her sing "Shackles."
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On the biggest stage in America, making a stand isn't always easy. But with millions watching last season's American Idol, Mandisa Hundley did just that—speaking openly about her struggle with food, forgiving judge Simon Cowell for his insults about her weight, and singing an overtly Christian song that sparked intense opposition. She talked to Today's Christian about her experiences on and off the Idol stage.
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What do you think God's purpose was for your being on American Idol last year?
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I think the Lord has strategically set up several people throughout the course of Idol to make a stand for His name. And as a result of my appearance on the show, I hope people will start to ask questions about the Lord or come into a relationship with Him. I was very vocal about my faith. Other contestants have expressed their faith more subtly, perhaps in the way they live their lives, or just in the joy that's apparent when they're on stage performing. My friend [and Idol semifinalist] Melinda Doolittle, who I sang background with, is also a believer. We're all here to bring glory to God.
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Of course, we're not all called to a career in ministry, but I don't think it's any less full-time ministry for Christians to be out in the world sharing the love of Jesus, even if they're not saying His name in all their songs. Many people said that Chris Sligh, a contestant this year who's a worship leader at his church, shouldn't have sung non-Christian songs. But if we stay in our safe bubbles, we'll just be recycling one another. We won't be out in the places where Jesus went. My upcoming CD does happen to be contemporary Christian, but I've not closed myself off to doing other things. I believe people pay more attention to the way we live our lives than to the things we actually say.
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Do you think being a Christian contributed to your early exit from American Idol?
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I'll never really know until I see Jesus face to face. I do know it was the Lord's plan. The anti-Christian sentiment I experienced didn't surface until I did interviews after my elimination, and people expressed anger at me for my beliefs. It made me realize what Jesus must have gone through. On Palm Sunday, people cheered and blessed Him. A week later they cursed and said, "Crucify Him!" And with the Simon issue, people praised me for standing up to him. Then when I demonstrated my same faith singing [the Mary Mary song] "Shackles," people hated me.
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Many people thought Simon crossed the line by criticizing your weight, but you've been very open about your battle with food. Why?
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I hope the Lord will use everything I am, including my struggle, to point people to Him. I'm very honest about it, and Christians and non-Christians can identify with that. Sin is sin; all of us do it. And overeating is the same as any other kind of addiction. I don't have a right to judge people dealing with drugs or alcohol, because the only difference is the substance. Sometimes I feel guilty. But then I remember the Lord came to set me free; and because of Him, I don't have to receive guilt. I confess my sins, and I ask the Lord to help me the next time I'm confronted with temptation. Any time I'm able to walk past Auntie Anne's Pretzels in a food court, that's a success! I applaud myself on it, and I thank the Lord.
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What advice do you have for anyone struggling to succeed with eating issues?
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Your value isn't dictated by your size. Don't give in to guilt or to the world's standards that say you have to look a particular way. I believe healthiness comes in all shapes and sizes. If you make health your goal, and not outside appearance, you'll find much more peace in that. I believe Scripture shows beauty isn't about braided hair or the wearing of fine jewelry; it comes from an inner and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in the Lord's sight. I know that with my mind, and now I'm on a journey to let that resonate in my heart. I've finally come to the point where at times I do believe I'm beautiful, but then at times I don't. The Lord is working on me in that area. I've had people recognize me and tell me, "You're so beautiful!" Little gifts like that from the Lord make me blush and kind of wink at God and say, "Okay, I hear You."
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How have you stayed open to hearing God's voice despite the clamor and busyness of Idol and the music industry?
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I actually felt a sense of peace and closeness to the Lord during my time on Idol. We often think peace is what we feel when things are great, but I think peace is what we feel when things are crazy. I made it a point to spend time with Him, because I believe in any relationship the way to know someone is to spend time with that person. So although it wasn't difficult for me during my Idol time, it was more difficult after my elimination.
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I regret not bringing the depression I felt about that to the Lord. I wish I'd learned from the time in "Hollywood Week" after the third round when I thought I was going to be eliminated. I was so upset that I just sat in a corner in my funk. But then I put my worship music on my headphones, and my spirits rose. I took the hard stuff to the Lord, and He lifted my burden and gave me peace. So if I could redo anything, I'd go back to the period after my elimination and worship the Lord in spite of it. I'd not ignore Him and stuff away my feelings with food, but instead take everything I was feeling to Him. Because I've realized, even though I now have more materially than I've ever had in my life, that everything is empty except my relationship with Him. That's what gives me my joy.
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How do you keep your joy and your identity grounded in Christ, especially in an industry of competition?
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I think in everything we do, we compare ourselves to others. But I know where my gifts come from. And I know it's not about me. Satan fell into the pitfall of believing his own press, thinking he could be God. And in this profession, artists get built up higher than they really should be. But in the end, especially on Idol, I don't think people necessarily think one singer is better than the other. At the core, what matters is who people like, and who they identify with. I knew I had to be the best I could be and not worry about trying to be better than anybody else.
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And right now, many people are comparing me to a contestant from this season, LaKisha Jones. I see certain similarities, but I'm so at peace with who I am that I don't have to be a better singer than she is. The plan the Lord has for me is the plan He has for me; and if LaKisha's better, it doesn't change His plan.
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You have a book, a CD, and a burgeoning career as a model. What do you think God's plans are for your future?
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I'm just taking it one day at a time. I'm called to speak very honestly about my struggles and triumphs, because nobody's perfect. We all know that, but very few people want to talk about it. So I pray people are encouraged and strengthened and uplifted through the book and CD, and I pray they'll worship when they're listening to it as well. I don't care about the accolades or the number of albums sold. I want lives to be changed. It's a heavy order, but it's not on my shoulders. It's a burden the Lord has to bear.
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He has me on an incredible journey. And while I do believe the Lord calls us to have goals, I also know the plans of a man are nothing compared with the plans of God. I never dreamt of writing a book or being a model, and He's the one that made those things happen. So I'm content just holding His hand and going wherever He leads.