Music

I love to listen to music. If you add up all of the music we own you could listen for nearly twelve days straight and not repeat a track! You might repeat a song because we have several songs recorded on multiple albums or by various artists. But, you won't repeat a track. That's a lot of music!

Having said that, though, I must confess that I don't like all of the music I own. Much of it is from the pre-digital age of music. You know, that time when you had to buy the whole album to get the good songs. So, my iTunes DJ or iPod playlists tend to be made up of a collection of the one or two songs from those albums that are really worth listening to.

Which brings me to a question...what music really is worth listening to?

A lot of artists in the Christian recording world are pretty fluffy these days. Many songs are recorded without much depth. It's as if they just have to keep up with the demands for new records, so they just get what they can and don't worry about what their songs are communicating. That has made me quite particular about my musical selection. I have a few favorite groups and artists, and I'll listen to almost anything released by them. But, for the most part I don't just latch on to every awesome new - or old - song or artist.

Have you thought about the music you listen to? Does it truly point you to Christ? Does it illuminate His Word to your heart or is it introducing a man-centered theology?

I'm not asking if every artist you listen to is a Christian recording artist. Not all of mine are. In addition to my Christian selection, I have grown to enjoy quite a few country music artists, a genre I used to despise. I have begun listening to Rob Thomas, and I really like some of his music. But I don't just sweepingly accept a song simply because it's sung by Rob Thomas or Martina McBride. On the other hand, I don't just automatically assume a song is going to be great because it's written by Chris Tomlin or even Steven Curtis Chapman (although he rarely disappoints!).

Whatever your genre or prefered artists, I challenge you to really analyze the music you listen to. Does it make you think, or is it just for fun? Please know, there's nothing wrong with a fun song - there's a song I love called "Rock Stars Need Money." Yeah, it's hilarious! But, that's not the epitomy of my musical selection. And, it's not even the epitomy of the songs sung by that particular band. What does your music do for you?

I encourage you to think about your music. I encourage you to analyze what it does to your emotions, what it makes you think, and where it directs your perspective. And I encourage you to broaden your horizons to find more music that really makes you think and grow and learn. And if you need any suggestions, just let me know!

PS Just in case you're curious, "Rock Stars Need Money" is sung by a fantastic band by the name of Downhere. The lead singers are both preacher's kids whose growth is obvious and theology is sound. If you need some new music that will make you think, point you to the Word, and reflect a lot of talent in the meantime, I highly recommend Downhere. Want an album to start with? My absolute favorite album is Wide-Eyed and Mystified. The new one, Ending is Beginning is also great!