The Power of Music
Music has the power to motivate, validate, comfort, energize, inspire, lift us up, or bring us down. Iโve seen it in my own life, and Iโve seen its effects on each of my children. My five kids (now teenagers and college students) have a wide variety of tastes in musicโpop, rap, Broadway, country, Christian/worshipโฆpretty much the gamut. And I can testify to the fact that their moods are affected by the music they have been listening to. Iโm the same way.
Messages set to music are just more prone to stick with us than those not set to music.
My personal preference is (and always has been) to listen to music that specifically points my mind and heart to Jesus. I need the reminder and encouragement to help me โset my mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earthโ (Colossians 3:2), and music helps me do that. My kids, however, sometimes like to branch out and listen to other music, and Iโm getting better about listening to it with them, particularly while weโre in the car.
Sometimes Iโll ask them to tell me what different songs are about. They donโt always know, so I think itโs a good practice to help them really pay attention to what they are letting into their minds. (Sometimes they realize that itโs not something that is healthy to listen to on repeat.) When they were younger, I had more control over what they listened to, but now they have a lot more freedom and opportunity to choose their own music. I probably havenโt done a great job of guiding them through how to think about and interact with all different kinds of music, but I am learning and growing in this.
Although I gravitate toward Christian music, I realize that pretty much all music, whether it means to or not, directs us back to God. He created music, after all, so it makes sense that it would all have to do with Him. So even if the lyrics of a song arenโt outrightly telling us about God, they inadvertently are. Because if a song is describing real love or true joy, these things are rooted in Godโs original plans for us. And if a song describes a longing for love or joy or peace, as a Believer, I know that that longing in each of us is actually a longing for what only God can give us. Even if a song depicts anger, sadness, fear, or confusionโฆAll of it points us back to our need for God.
A couple of my children like to listen to music that they donโt want to share with me, and they will probably continue to try to hide it from me. But on the occasions that they do let me listen with them, I try not to give big reactions. Instead, I really try to listen to the words of the songs, point out what I think is good about them, and ask my kids for their thoughts on what they are hearing. This can provide teachable moments for my kids as well as teachable moments for me, since it helps me have a little more insight into my childrenโs hearts and minds.
I do want to point out that I think itโs also important to teach our kids to use discernment even when listening to โChristianโ music. Some bad, watered-down, and/or me-centered theology can easily creep into our minds through some songs, if we arenโt alert to it. I try to point these songs out to my kids when I hear them, because I donโt want them to think that Iโm only critical of โnon-Christianโ music.
Iโm a pretty straightforward person; I like to be direct with my words. So I will most likely continue in my preference for music that is distinctly about Jesus. But I want to be awareโand teach my children to be awareโof Godโs message to us through all music. We need to look for it, and the Holy Spirit can help us discern it.
Parents, do you look for teachable moments with your kids through music? Leave a comment and tell me how you do it!
