"Christian" Music

This morning, I was sitting in my office (which is right by the main entrance to our office wing at the church), when our children's pastor walked in, looked in my office, and said "You're listening to it again."  Confused, I said, "Listening to what?"  He replied, "Music!"  He's right, I constantly listen to music.  I remember being in college and even while I was studying or writing papers, I would have music on.  It's on in my car, it plays while I work, while I get ready in the mornings, etc.  I love music.  Music is very powerful in many ways.  It can set a mood, it can eliminate awkward silence, it can provide an atmosphere.  Think all the places you go where music is being played.  Elevators, restaurants, stores, shops, sporting events, doctors offices, just about everywhere there is music in the background.

Just like everything else in existence, I believe music was created for the purpose of bringing glory to God.  Also, like so many other things in the world, music has been perverted in so many ways that do not glorify the Creator.  Don't get me wrong, this isn't going to be on of those legalistic, "listening to anything other than 'Christian' music is sinful" arguments.  I'll admit, I don't listen to "Christian" music 100% of the time.  There are other styles and genres out there that I enjoy.  But, I do believe that we should use music to bring glory to Jesus.  My fear that is that "Christian" musicians today are striving harder to fit in with the culture and what's popular on every other radio station rather than simply seeking to glorify God with their art.

A question I get asked a lot is if I've heard "such and such" song on the radio.  Most of the time the answer is no.  I don't listen to a lot of "Christian" radio.  I use things like the music on my own iPhone, Pandora, or Sporify most of the time I'm listening.  I like to be able to control what I listen to.  I'm very selective.  Not necessarily picky, just selective.  If my the music on my phone is on shuffle, you don't know what you're going to get next.  Could be rock, could be rap, could be something from a musical, could "coffee shop" type music, could be spoken word.  The reason I don't listen to "Christian" radio very much could be that I'm just a control freak and only want to listen to what I want to listen to when I want to listen to it; but mostly it's because a large majority of the time it makes me mad.

This brings me back to my point of writing this blog.  I'm afraid that most of "Christian" musicians today are more concerned about being popular or keeping up with what pop culture is doing musically, rather than striving to glorify God and point to Jesus with their songs.  I was listening to "Christian" radio the other day (my phone was about to die and I didn't have any cd's in the car) and the song that was on when I turned the car on confused me so much so that I had to double check the station that was playing.  It literally made me think I was listening to a modern day pop station.  Yeah, the music itself sounded very pop-ish, but more than the music, the lyrics are what bothered me.  It sounded like a love song you could be singing to your boyfriend or girlfriend.  I'm all about being creative with the music that's going to accompany your lyrics, but the lyrics are what will point people to Jesus.  We need to be singing songs that are undeniably about the One who redeems us, saves us, sets us free, gives us hope, rescues us, died for us, and intercedes for us.  I had a previous post I wrote on Easter weekend that also addresses this point, "It's All About JESUS!"

You may be asking yourself as you read this why I've been putting the word "Christian" in quotations.  It's because the word "Christian" means to be like Christ, to be like Jesus, to be like the One who redeems us, saves us, sets us free, gives us hope, rescues us, died for us, and intercedes for us.  I think a lot of what labels itself as "Christian" is not like Christ.  Jesus, undeniably and unashamedly, pointed people to His Father.  He lived a life that was different than the world, and also in many ways was different than the religious culture of the day.  He had a mission and lived to accomplish that mission despite public opinion.  In John 17, Jesus prays to God the Father and says that He has sent us (the church) into the world for the same reason that He was sent into the world.  We have a mission.  We are to be like Jesus.  We are to be Christians.

So join in me in being selective with your music.  Don't buy into the popularity of an artist or a song just because they are on a "Christian" radio station or with a "Christian" label.  Put their music and more importantly the lyrics of their songs up against the gospel of scripture and make sure your entertaining yourself with music that is pointing to and glorifying Jesus!