Musicality

I (Aimee) don't know if I've mentioned before that I did not grow up listening to Christian music. I grew up in the church, and while I was not perfect, I knew a lot more about what it really meant to be Christian than most of the people that I grew up with. But none of that affected my musical choices. About 2 years ago I decided to start giving it a try, and now I'm hooked.

I loved singing in our church choir. But when I was home or in the car I was listening to secular music. Now, here comes one of those disclaimers: don't hear what I'm not saying. Not all secular music is bad. It does not automatically make you a "bad" Christian if you don't listen to Christian music anymore than listening solely to Christian music makes you a "good" Christian.

I just wanted to point out a couple of things that have occurred to me.

1. Christian music can be a great tool to help you to worship God throughout your week.

In church on Sunday you worship God with music. So, it only makes sense that music would help you to connect with God during the week.

2. Christian music can be a great ministry to your soul throughout your week.

I love Casting Crowns! Love! Love! Love! They have a great sound. No doubt about that. But they also have such great lyrics. And, if you buy the CD rather than downloading it, in the booklet they list all of the Bible verses that inspired the song or that are relevent to the song. So often I find myself listening to music and then, suddenly, I realize that I've just stopped and I'm singing along because the words are so true and so powerful. I've meditated on the music. I've used a few of their songs in worship services. They've meant so much to me. Casting Crowns are not the only ones who can do this. I'm just using them for an example. The point is, if you are open to it, music can minister to you.

3. Music that is not honoring to God is not good for your soul.

Listening to Christian music for so long, and then going back to listen to some stuff that I used to listen to on a regular basis was an eye opener. Not all of it is bad. Not all secular music is bad. But some of it is. And all of this made me more aware of it. Just like watching junk on TV, or movies full of sex and cursing and violence, etc., listening to disrespectful, crude music is bad. It's like junk food for your soul in that it has nothing but negative effects. It makes you think that it's good, but it isn't.

If you don't normally listen to Christian music, allow me to recommend Casting Crowns. They have a lot of albums to choose from.

If you listen to secular music, whether sometimes or all the time, I invite you to really consider whether what you're listening to is honoring to God. Is it building you up or tearing you down?

Everything in your life effects you in some way or another. What you choose to surround yourself with can be just as important as who you choose to surround yourself with. All of these things and these people work to either draw us closer to God or they pull us away from God. Staying put in your walk with the Lord is an illusion; you're either moving forward or backward. I pray that your music would help you to move forward. And, if it isn't, that you're eyes would be opened and your heart would be moved to make a change for the better.