Thoughts on Christian Music

It's sort of funny how my mind grabs onto one or two little tidbits of conversations or I read something on a blog, and I can't really let them go without sorting them out first. Honoring that today, I want to spend some time reflecting on why I listen to, enjoy, and sing primarily Christian music. It actually seems like a remarkably simple concept, but I suppose that even the simplest ideas sometimes need to be dug into, considered in new ways, and justified in one's heart from time to time. 

I started listening to Christian music probably around middle school, at the encouragement of someone at my church. Prior to being introduced to it, I didn't even know such a genre existed. The only music I knew was what this sheltered child heard on the shuttle bus back and forth to school each morning and afternoon. Looking back at that first introduction to Christian music, I remember being attracted to it not only for the sound (because arguably, I was listening to some pretty corny '90s praise music) but because my heart, even my young heart, immediately recognized something different about how the words impacted my heart. Regular radio music, songs of love/lust, partying, summer days, and whatever else, never reached into my life. They never caused me pause. But with Christian music, sometimes I would find and read the words over and over realizing that they meant something, they called to a part of my heart that loved God greatly. 

Fast forward to today. Christian music still does the same thing. When I listen, my heart is touched, as if God is sometimes speaking directly to me through the lyrics, even through the melodies and harmonies. Now, granted, Christian music is not always a gospel message directly, nor is it always even directly about God. There are songs about forgiveness, loving others, healing past hurts, having a good or bad day... Music is not the gospel. Music is not the Bible. Music was never meant to be these things. 

I guess, when it comes right down to it, I see music as a tool. A technology, perhaps. When I listen to Christian music, I am reminded. I am reminded of my Creator, my Savior, the cross and sacrifice made for me, about right living, being human, about great love. My heart is inspired. I desire to draw closer to God. I am emotionally impacted, moved to feel deeper. To me, music is a lot like murals or sculptures. A lot like visual representations of the cross. Like taking communion. Like a devotional book. Like a sunset or a rainbow. To varying degrees, all of these things serve as reminders of God's love. 

I don't know that there's anything inherently wrong with listening to non-Christian music. There's a lot of great music about other things. I enjoy this music from time to time, too. But I find myself becoming more and more discouraged about mainstream music. Increasingly, as I listen to lyrics, I realize just how many songs are representative of the world and what the world sees as acceptable. Drugs, extramarital sex, drinking, partying, hurting others or self, violence, hatred. These are things that I know are a part of the world we live in, but it doesn't mean that I want to dwell on them, to be reminded of them. If I have the choice, and usually I do, I am going to choose to be reminded of the things of God rather than the things of the world. 

There you go. A very long-winded way around a simple topic that just wouldn't let me go today. Thoughts? Arguments? Challenges? You know I like a good debate.