The Ministry of Music
I Chronicles 9:33 Those who were musicians, heads of Levite families, stayed in the rooms of the temple and were exempt from other duties because they were responsible for the work day and night.
What would life be like without music? It’s difficult to even imagine. Everything we do seems to remind us of a song or a tune that plays in our heads. Just about every married couple has a song. A song from their wedding, or maybe a song from when they first met that reminds them of how their relationship began. Music sometimes reminds us of high points in our lives and sometimes of low points in our lives. Any way you slice it, music is a part of our lives.
I believe God designed it this way. I’ve noticed in the last three or four years it seems that the Christian genre of music has really made leaps and bounds even crossing over into the secular realm. This is a wonderful thing! Today any lost person may be listening to any radio station and hear a song with a Biblical, Christian message. Some examples playing on the radio today are “Live Like We’re Dying” by Chris Allen. “This Is My Temporary Home” by Carrie Underwood, and “Hero” by Skillet. If revival is to occur in America, music may play a crucial role in bringing it about. We’ve had the psychedelic sixties, the disco seventies, the techno eighties, and the grunge nineties or the gay nineties depending on whom you talk to, but I’m praying that this decade will be remembered as the Christian teens.
The music ministry changes lives. Some may say that music plays with your emotions too much, but I think it is supposed to. Our hearts are not easily moved and I think we like it that way. It’s our nature to want to protect our feelings and keep our hearts from breaking, but we need to be heart-broken sometimes. I remember a couple of years or so ago at Falls Creek, a young man sitting in front of me broke down during on of the worship songs. God pricked his heart with the message of that song. After the message was given and it came time for the invitation, he was one of the first ones to go forward. I can imagine every time this young man hears that song; he is reminded of his first love with Jesus Christ. I can remember a song that was played when I surrendered to the ministry. It was called, “Here Am I Send Me.” It was a confirmation, one of many, that led me to make that decision.
Weekly Challenge: We have selected a search committee to seek out God’s man to lead our church in the music ministry. My challenge to you this week is to set aside a time daily to listen to your favorite Christian music or song and pray for this committee. Pray for their unity in Christ and their patience to seek God’s man in God’s timing. Also pray for the man whom God has already chosen for this position.
