CeCe Winans: 'I Know Where I'm Supposed to Be'

The gospel star talks about her family, her music, and what Jesus means to her.

BY: Interview by David Kuo

CeCe Winans is one of the most recognizable names in the music industry--and her talent runs in the family. As groups, duos, and individuals, all ten of the Winans children and their parents have achieved tremendous success in the world of gospel music. Listen to her perform on stage live from the October 9th Luis Palau festival in Washington, D.C. Then read more about her music and her faith.

Tell me about Jesus. Who is he? Why should we still care?

Jesus is the truth, the light, he's the way. He orders my footsteps, gives me what I need and tells me how to live. Jesus is life. And we need him more now than ever.

Jesus, music and God are your family's heritage. What's the best thing and what's the worst thing about it?

There is no worst thing about it. I'm so blessed by my family and by my heritage. It is a Godly heritage. My parents taught us to love God and to put Him first and that without Him you were nothing.

You've had ample opportunities to sell more albums by adopting this look or that look or by singing this kind of lyric that might be racier. Has that ever been a temptation, is it still a temptation in any way?

You know, we could have done a lot of different things and we've had a lot of different projects offered to us over the years. But you know what I learned? I learned that Jesus is there and that's one of the greatest lessons I've had to learn, is to really just depend on Him. It's like the Lord just said, "You're going to trust me"; I've been learning that lesson all my life. It is such a great experience for me to just trust Him. I know I'm where I am supposed to be and the temptation to be something that you aren't isn't a temptation that I've known. My prayer is that I could have a heart like His; full of compassion and one that only does what the Father tells him to do. I'll end up in a place and sometimes I'll ask myself, "How did I get here?", "Why am I here God?" but it's just that my steps are ordered. I don't know where I'm going to be next year but I know I'll be in the center of His will because that's my prayer.

Luis Palau. You went to Washington, D.C. to be part of this huge festival. Why?

Whenever I have a chance to be with this incredible minister, I take it. Luis has such an amazing heart for people. He just loves people and loves telling people about Jesus and he does it in a way that invites them in. He doesn't try and jam things down anyone's throat.

What is worship? There's been so much talk about worship music and worship services and such. But what is worship to you?

Worship is being able to come before God and it is about understanding who he is. He is God! So when you are worshipping God, you know right away that it isn't about you but it is about him. You know, the Bible says, "You must worship," it doesn't give us an option.

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