The world that we live in today, (2013) poses a load of challenges to Christians; unrighteous Laws are being made and passed in addition to the growing moral decay of society. Violence and poverty are on the up rise. War and rumors of more wars flood the media and paint a bleak picture of the future. Without hope, people stop caring about others and in some cases themselves too. If Christians are not careful we also can be effected and begin to lose focus.
2 Timothy: 3:1-7. 1But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.
6 They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, 7 always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. (NIV)
The end result will lead to moral and spiritual darkness. This is why God calls for Christians to be the lights of the world. The work that God is doing in us should shine hope, thus attracting people to us to ask about the hope we carry in us. But we must keep in mind that, like a cell phone battery needs to continue to be recharged, so do Christians! The cell phone battery’s source is electricity; the Christian’s source is God’s word…The BIBLE!
In the study of the human learning process, it has been proven that one of the many things that music can affect is memory. When a child is learning their A, B, C’s to a song it is easier for them to remember the melody of the song than the letters of the alphabet. Melody, which is a series of musical note placed in a particular sequence and time signature, stay in the mind easier because it connects with the soul / emotional part of a person. Facts and figures must dig into, take root and then grow in the intelligence of a person.
Because God created man, He knows how to work with us best. As we can clearly see, songs cause us to retain more. This is why songs that are called Gospel / Christian should have melodies and words that cause us to retain God’s Word or about what He has done in us and about the things that He will do for His people.
Colossians 3:16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. (NIV)
When we meditate on and sing these kinds of songs, it plugs us into the source and recharges our spiritual batteries. Then we shine…but not by our power, but by the power that is in God’s Word. Then we will continue to be the lights of the world no matter how dark it gets.
Those of us that have been called to sing and play music for God have been given a wonderful and great responsibility! We can help cause our brothers and sisters in Christ to shine bright for Jesus, thus drawing those who are lost to the Glorious Light of Christ. I would surely conclude that Gospel Music is very important in today’s world!
H.L.
