Amidst criticism, Christian bands perform in public. Sadly, this criticism often comes from Christians: “This is not music!”, “This music doesn’t give glory to God!”, “This is music from hell!” are not unheard of.
What we forget is this: Most Christian bands are not there to play music, but to worship the One who created and saved them! They are there to lead the public to the feet of the One who deserves all worship! Their common goal is not to make money (they make very little compared to what popular artists earn), but to praise God and help others discover how madly God is in love with us!
The variety of Christian bands, their different genres and their messages attract a diversity of different people. Youngsters, for example, come in droves to hear some styles that older people would classify as “terrible”. They join the bands in worship adoring the Lord of Lords. The point is, it doesn’t matter if it is screamo (My least favourite to my taste!) or Christian contemporary music. They all share the same goal for different audiences!
Too often we criticize because we are not familiar with what others are experiencing. When I was young and living a worldly life, my dad criticized the music I listened to. I decided that I would never do that to my own kids. Once I became a follower of the Christ, it was quite easy to lead my sons to music that had no empty words, and they quickly absorbed that music dedicated to the worship of our Lord. However their tastes were unlike mine. I, too, had the urge to put down some of the music they praised, even wondering if its words gave glory of God.
It’s then that I remembered the promise I had made so long ago. I sat down and started listening to what my sons were listening to. I discovered that the words were uplifting, but it was the music that was not suitable to my taste. However, after listening to these songs over and over with a humble worshipping attitude, I realized that my sons’ music was not only uplifting, but catchy at the same time. Their music was bringing me closer to God! Imagine that!
We old folks are scared of change. We need to remind ourselves that the only constant we can rely on in this life is the constant love our God has towards each one of us!
One day the disciples saw someone doing things in the name of Jesus. They, too, tried to stop him. They, too, thought that he was not one of them. Listen to what Jesus had to say: “‘Master,’ said John, ‘we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.’ ‘Do not stop him,’ Jesus said, ‘for whoever is not against you is for you.'” (Luke 9:49-50 NIV)
“Do not stop them!”
We are here to uplift one another, not criticize each other. (See 1 Thess 5:11)
Everyone in this world has a deep longing, and each of us tries to fill that longing in different ways, most often toxic to our spiritual, mental and physical health. In all reality that deep longing can only be satisfied by worshipping the One who created and saved us. It doesn’t matter how we worship Him, as long as we are worshipping Him. We were born with a hunger to worship, but the dazzles and whistles of this world distracted our attention from the real thing and many of us ended up worshipping people and things that leave us empty.
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.” (Rom 12:1-2 NIV)
“You come to him, the living Stone – rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him- you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:4-5As NIV)
Worshipping our Lord with all of our heart, with all of our soul and with all of our strength is the only way to satisfy this deep hunger. It involves our whole being, our whole attitude and our whole devotion. I thank those who dedicate their lives to helping others find that kind of worship, as truly our only passion is Jesus the Christ, who “made himself nothing” so that we could become “sons and daughters of the Most High”.
“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil 2:5-11 NIV)
Will you come with me and worship the One whose name “is above every name”?
“Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Eph 5:19-20 NIV)
Rob Chaffart
(To access the entire “The Heart of the Matter” devotional series, please click here.)