Music: Where does it fit in my life?

As a child, and even now as an adult, music has been something I could never picture this world without. When words fail to express a thought, idea, or perhaps even a memory, somehow lyrics seem to make it all make sense. I take great joy in writing music, that although may not ever reach any other ears but my own and the occasional casual listener, I never let my pen rest for too long.
Whether it be to worship God, reassure your love for your wife, or any other reason, music has the power to influence us without us even knowing. Unlike someone simply talking, music can actually portray the same ideas and words that one may hear as an advice from a friend, and at the same time, place a melody upon it that makes it delightful to listen to over and over again.
But what makes music good can also make it a tool for evil. Just like listening to Hymns or Contemporary Christian (O Church Arise; Indescribable) music can be used to express our love for God, other genres like Death Metal or Pop can be used to exalt the devil or to influence the mind of its listeners into desiring worldly pleasures (Slayer? Justin Timberlake?).
This of course sets a limit into what Christians should listen to and not listen to. How exactly would you take it if you found your Pastor on a weekday bopping his head to an old school Hip Hop beat in his car? Do you think that because you don't have the responsibilities of your Pastor, that you yourself can say that its acceptable for you to listen to that kind of music in your car? Don't ask me, ask yourself that. Wise words like "Do as they say, not as they do," are suitable here, right?

My music preferences? Varied, but you will never find me listening to something that contradicts what the word of God says. But what can I listen to? Christian music? Well yes, I most certainly do, and I love it. Yet I constantly find myself asking myself if a certain song I listen to is truly Christian. It is all too likely that most Christian artists out there aren't truly saved, but I cannot say that, for I do not know there heart, only God knows. Is that an excuse to not find out the origins of this artist? Of course not, I will do my research on them (And not the sugarcoated Wikipedia entry on them either). Some artists however choose not to go under the recording label of Christians for the sake of limiting there sales, and that's something they will give answer to God for. There are many in the closet bands, who just won't go under the Christian label because they've been without one for so long, or for the fear of losing a couple million fans. A good example of this is something like Linkin Park versus the "Christian" counterpart, Skillet. This person here (being a pastor) has his own take on music: http://oursovereignjoy.blogspot.com/2008/08/what-can-christian-radio-learn-from.html  I can mostly certainly say that just like Linkin Park has its own Non-Christian like songs, so does Skillet and most artists under that label out there. But then again, what you listen to is what you listen to. Does that mean that as your fellow brethren in Christ I should not help you see the wrong in listening to some secular music? Absolutely not, but it's ultimately up to God to convict us of what we do.

God may call me to give up all music, and I'm okay with whatever he has in store for me, and nonetheless, something like piano or guitar expresses beauty without words. God calls us to take dominion over the world, does he not? Let us also take dominion over music and claim it for God!






Recommended for those who love Modern Christian Hymns is the book "Modern Hymns New Classics for Today's Worshipper" as it even contains amazing songs like "O Church Arise" or "Amazin Grace (My Chains are Gone).