A Lesson From Music (Part 2)
You'll always find me with music, whether it's singing along to something, singing by myself, humming, whistling, or at the very least just listening to music. When I was little I made up songs to go along with what I was doing. Actually, I still do that. When I walk through the grocery store I mindlessly hum a tune while picking out onions, sing a duet with myself while searching the shelves for a specific spice, and make up a song about grasshoppers when I grab a block of cheese... needless to say, I get some pretty odd looks sometimes. Whether or not my singing voice is tolerable is beside the point. The weird stares and snide comments I've gotten are also beside the point.
The point is: I mindlessly sing lyrics all. the. time.
In my post yesterday (A Lesson From Music (Part 1)) I talked about how what we let our minds consume effects our (or at least my) spiritual, and emotional state. I also briefly mentioned that even if you're exposing your mind to things that are good and Godly, it doesn't automatically mandate that you'll be more Christ-centered because of it.
"If you're feeding your mind with what is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, good, virtuous, or praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8), then it will be easier for you to have a God-focused life. But feeding it is not enough. You have to work at it, pull the weeds and cultivate the flowers. Becoming someone who is centered around Christ takes work, you can't expect fruit without effort." - Me ;)
It takes work. I am careful about my music consumption because I know how it effects me when I'm not... but even so, I find myself entirely too often singing along to the radio, and not paying any attention to what the words I'm saying are. More on this later.
Sunday morning during church I was caught off guard by that thought of mindlessly singing along to songs as I watched the people around me singing a old hymn. I looked and saw so many different faces, and each one seemed to have a different feeling while singing.
Some were brought to tears (myself along with them)
Some looked so placid that it pierced my heart with grief
Some seemed to enjoy the singing, but weren't listening to the words
Some didn't understand what these words really meant
Some didn't look like they were even in the room
Some faces were filled with joy
Some, with sorrow
Some weren't even singing, only listening
Too many were singing mindlessly
In my post yesterday (A Lesson From Music (Part 1)) I talked about how what we let our minds consume effects our (or at least my) spiritual, and emotional state. I also briefly mentioned that even if you're exposing your mind to things that are good and Godly, it doesn't automatically mandate that you'll be more Christ-centered because of it.
"If you're feeding your mind with what is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, good, virtuous, or praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8), then it will be easier for you to have a God-focused life. But feeding it is not enough. You have to work at it, pull the weeds and cultivate the flowers. Becoming someone who is centered around Christ takes work, you can't expect fruit without effort." - Me ;)
It takes work. I am careful about my music consumption because I know how it effects me when I'm not... but even so, I find myself entirely too often singing along to the radio, and not paying any attention to what the words I'm saying are. More on this later.
Sunday morning during church I was caught off guard by that thought of mindlessly singing along to songs as I watched the people around me singing a old hymn. I looked and saw so many different faces, and each one seemed to have a different feeling while singing.
Some were brought to tears (myself along with them)
Some looked so placid that it pierced my heart with grief
Some seemed to enjoy the singing, but weren't listening to the words
Some didn't understand what these words really meant
Some didn't look like they were even in the room
Some faces were filled with joy
Some, with sorrow
Some weren't even singing, only listening
Too many were singing mindlessly
I was in a room filled with Christians, and it struck me to the core that most of the people in that room were singing mindlessly. They weren't interested in what the words to the song were, they were interested in what it sounded like, or were only singing because everyone else was: none of it had any meaning at all for them. We were there to worship God, and be rejuvenated spiritually, and from my quick assessment of the room, most of us were placidly singing some of the most beautiful words ever penned -- in the pretense of praising God.
I don't think that robot-ishly singing words is praise to God, and it doesn't do you any good, either. Praising and worshiping God is not about words coming out of your mouth, it is about what is in your heart.
These are the lyrics to the song that we were singing at the time.
"Man of sorrows!" what a name
For the Son of God who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim!
Hallelujah! What a Saviour!
Bearing shame and scoffing rude
In my place condemned He stood;
Sealed my pardon with His blood;
Hallelujah! What a Saviour!
Guilty, vile, and helpless, we;
Spotless Lamb of God was He:
"Full atonement," can it be?
Hallelujah! What a Saviour!
"Lifted up" was He to die,
"It is finished," was His cry:
Now in heaven exalted hight:
Hallelujah! What a Saviour!
When He comes, our glorious King,
All His ransomed home to bring,
Then anew this song we'll sing:
Hallelujah! What a Saviour!
This is just one among many beautiful songs that have been written to glorify out Savior. And it's definitely not the only one that has been sung with placidity, and ignorance of the words.
In fact, I do this on a regular basis. I sing, a lot. Too much of that time I am just singing for the sake of the fact I love to sing, and I'm not at all paying attention to the words that are coming out of my mouth. I have sung words that if I had really meant them, would've changed the way I live my life.
Yes, it matters immensely what you're putting into your mind through music. But even if you're listening to music that will encourage you, teach you, challenge you, glorify your creator.... it won't do you any good if you're mindlessly singing along to a song that you've never taken the time to understand.
Am I saying that it's wrong to just sing along to a song? No.
What I am saying that is if you're striving to grow in Christ, you need to be aware of what your putting into your mind. I monitor what goes in through my headphones by listening to stations that I can count on to play edifying music. But even if the music I listen to is God-focused, unless I actually apply what these songs teach, it won't really do me that much good. Listening to good music isn't enough, I have to actually put work into it if I want to actually gain from these songs! All of this is part of the act of "Taking every thought captive" (2 Corinthians 10:5).
Tenth Avenue North, "By Your Side"
OBB, "All Eyes On You"
Francesca Battistelli, "Write Your Story"
Matt Redman, "10,000 Reasons"
Finding Favour, "Say Amen"
Rend Collective, "My Lighthouse"
Gungor, "Beautiful Things"
Countless times I have sung along to these songs, and songs like these, and not payed any attention to what God could possibly be teaching me through them.
Songs are full of other peoples thoughts and feelings. They hold valuable lessons that have been made available to us through music. Music is fun. Music is beautiful. Music helps us process emotions. Music is used by God to reach us. But we have to be listening. Don't get so caught up in the beat of the song that you don't hear what the lyrics are saying.
The more I really listen to what some of the songs I'm listening to are saying, the more I realize how much I still need to learn. I realize that these are not just songs, they are the stories of people who have gone through an experience, and have been taught something. These are broken people finding peace and comfort in Christ. They are people who are seeking to glorify God with their work. They are people who wrote their song so that we would hear, and learn from their experience. These are not just feel-good lyrics with messages that only go skin-deep. They are profound, insightful, and full of wisdom.
I mindlessly sing along to the very words that could change my life.
Feeding your mind with healthy material is good, but actually gaining from that material is better.
Love in Christ,
~Bekah
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