Learning to view music through God’s eyes
Posted by The Skyliner on April 22nd, 2009
Kaelyn Pfenning
Copy Editor
If you listen to contemporary Christian music, you are living in sin.
This message, clearly conveyed through one of my high school piano teachers, shook my faith and caused tears to flow down my cheeks as I rode home with my mom. During the ride home, my mom encouraged me to examine the impact of the music on my life.
As I seriously evaluated contemporary Christian music, I recalled the many times God had used those very songs to penetrate my heart and to transform my life into His image, and I knew the music itself could not be sinful. God cannot use sinful means to transform lives, but He does convict us to remove sin in our lives.
Through my experience, I became careful to distinguish between an amoral tool used for good or evil and truly sinful actions. God created music and entrusted this gift to all people. As any other gift from God, some people abuse it while others choose to use it to honor and glorify God.
Romans 14:6 says, “He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord, He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.”
With tools given by God, the issue is not the style of music, the day of the week or the eating of meat, but the important issue is the attitude of the heart. Believers ought to desire to please God in everything, including music.
2 Corinthians 5:9 says, “So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.”
In a survey distributed in the North Greenville University cafeteria at dinner on Wednesday, April 15, many students indicated a wide range of tastes. Almost half of the completed surveys indicated a desire to listen to contemporary Christian music the most when the students are on their own.
“The [contemporary Christian] music lifts up God and lightens my spirits. Also, they tend to be easy to sing and enlightening to all,” said Amie Prahl, sophomore biology.
Along with contemporary Christian music, about five out of 65 students preferred classical Christian music or hymns.
“I like singing classical Christian music because the notes are clearer and easier to hit than the crooning lyrics of contemporary Christian music,” said Braden Hall, senior history.
These two categories name only a couple of genres. A number of other students ranked country, rock, gospel and a variety of other styles of music as their favorite. Regardless of the genre of music, the important matter remains to glorify God.
Colossians 3:17 says, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”