It's the most influential forces today; it can make you happy or sad. It can bring you closer to God but similarly can lead you into the devil's hand. Of course, we are talking about music.
Considering that both Christian and secular music use instrumentals, convey a message and influence the hearer one way or the other, what is it exactly that makes one different from the other?
For the next five weeks we will be exploring this subject by answering the following questions:
- Soul or Spirit?
- Whose Glory?
- Leading to where?
- Moral or Immoral?
- What Effect?
Let's take a closer look at the subject of this week by concentrating on the first on the five questions: Souls or Spirit? Both secular and Christian music touch you in a particular way, communicating something to you while you are listening. But what's the message of that music is doing to you? Is it feeding your soul (emotions) or your spirit (faith)?
SECULAR MUSIC
Soul: Secular music taps into your emotions and causes you to feel happy, sad, angry, aggressive, etc. A sad love song will make you feel sorrowful, while the upbeat song that follows will make you feel happy and lively.
Effect: The effects are temporary simply because what you feel is an emotion. A song allows you to escape from reality for a few moments, but as soon as the song is over, it's back to reality. There is no doubt that music influences the mood of a person, but imagine making choices based on the feelings of the moment?
CHRISTIAN MUSIC
Spirit: Unlike worldly music, this is directed at your mind, which is connected to the spirit. As you are led by the spirit, it often helps you express what you cannot put into words and leads you closer to God. It causes your mind to focus on the things of God rather than on your feelings.
Effect: It helps you think, ponder about your life, faith, etc. It inspires you to act on your faith and brings you closer to God. It strengthens and encourages your faith. For example, when you sing a song of faith - directed at your problem - the words cause you to think, which in turn inspires you to take action based on faith, not emotions.
Next week we'll talk about the second point: Whose Glory?
Pr Luke Castro
