I define ministry as what you've went through. I believe it takes somebody to go through something to be able to minister to something.
I can't jump into other people's shoes, I can only speak for me. My songs are pretty much sermons put to music.
I used to stand in front of the mirror and listen to Hezekiah Walker all day. I thought I was a member of his choir and direct people that weren't there.
One of my friends continued to ask me when was I going to start the group. One particular time she asked me, someone else asked the same thing later on in the week. I believe that was definitely the Lord speaking and prompting me to start it.
Your testimony doesn't mean anything if it is not your testimony. So every song that I write it happened at one point in my life or another.