Why Music?

People who talk with Pat & me for any length of time often hear us speak about or refer to various songs, composers, artists, videos of music, etc. A friend once replied, in a conversation, “Do you know how many times you mention a singer or song, just as if you expect me to know who you’re talking about?”  We laughed together, realizing that we all have our own “spheres of comfort” in which we are… OK, “comfortable.” For us, that sphere is music—especially music that glorifies & lifts up our matchless Savior & Lord, Jesus Christ.

Many years ago I taught in a Christian school, where one of the teachers simply did not like any music, and would refuse to sing with the other teachers, even behind closed doors. That always puzzled me. It’s one thing to only have the ability to make a joyful “noise”; it’s something else to not want to open your mouth in praise.

As a child, I used to be embarrassed by my father as we would sing in church. You see, Dad loved Jesus, and he loved music… but he could not even come close to being able to “carry a tune.” That never stopped him, however, from loudly joining in the hymns, or tapping his feet as other musicians played or sang! Today, I would love to be able to tell him just how proud I am—and should have been then—for not caring what others thought—only what God thought.

Scripture is replete with admonitions, as well as examples, to be a participant in this wonderful, free expression of praise and love for our God.

♬ “Hear, O kings! Give ear, O princes!

      I, even I, will sing to the LORD;
      I will sing praise to the LORD God of
      Israel.” 
(song of Deborah & Barak, Judges 5.3)

 ♬ ”Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
       Talk of all His wondrous works!”

(David, celebrating return of the Ark, 1 Chronicles 16.9))

♬ “Sing praises to God, sing praises!
     Sing praises to our King, sing praises!”

(the sons of Korah, Psalm 47.6)

♬ “Sing to the LORD a new song;
      sing to the LORD, all the earth.”

(Psalm 96.1, emphasis mine)

♬ “Sing to the LORD, bless His name;
    Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.”

(Psalm 96.2, emphasis mine)

♬ “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom,

      teaching and admonishing one another
      in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
     singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”
(Paul, while in prison, to the church at Colossae, Col. 3.16, Eph. 5.19-20)

So you see, the choice always belongs to us. The common term today is GIGO: “Garbage IN, Garbage OUT.” In other words, there is a proportional relationship between what we allow into our minds & what comes out from our mind. God has given us the instruction to fill our minds with things that honor Him (Philippians 4.8), and then, to do accordingly (Philippians 4.9)—you didn’t realize that computer terminology (such as GIGO) was actually a Biblical concept, did you?

For us, a day without listening to or singing edifying music would be tantamount to learning that we would never see the sun again! Music lifts, heals, invigorates, soothes, instructs, encourages, exhorts, and just plain adds warmth & enjoyment to your life! IF (or since) our Creator God created music, and placed so much importance on it, why is it that we compartmentalize it to Sunday worship?  What about you?  We’ll let you make the application.  Terry & Pat Lampel | Cup of Cold Water ministry | Everett, WA