Music: all things permissable ?

Actually, I kind of like having more independant bands. Sure, it makes going to the bookstore for new music a bit harder. But, artists are not hampered by their labels and can make their music any way they choose.

But, the Guardians and Strypers are still around. Stryper will have that new CD out this year. Guardian is also reporting a new disc happening, although I'll believe it when I see it. You also have other great stuff like Letter 7, Rob Rock, Narnia, Under Command, Saint, Eden's Way, Stricken, Testify, etc. that are, or will soon, drop new music on us. Sure, we have to hunt a bit harder, but it isn't really difficult when we don't even have to leave the computer to find the tunes we want in a genre we like.

Does anyone ever wonder why there's never enough to satisfy us? Clearly the things of this world will never satisfy, regardless of whether they're "Christian" or not, but we appear to chase after them nonetheless. Honestly, this bothers me and why I seem so jaded at times about music. I know there are great songs/albums that draw me into worship or deepen my faith in some way, but do I really need to hunt for more? I suppose that depends on my motive. If I'm solely after building my relationship with Jesus, then perhaps it's permissible to use all available venues to do so, which can easily open another can of worms. I can say this isn't the case for me. While I do pray often, fellowship with other strong believers, and read my Bible - and some songs really do touch me, more often than not the music comes first and the message is a great added bonus.

I believe my situation is worse than most in this case because of my radio show - I can guarantee I would not be seeking new music anywhere near as much if it wasn't for it. In fact, most of the music I find I could really care less about but perhaps it will touch someone else (if they happen to listen in). Nevertheless, even without my show, music COULD be an "idol" of sorts for me though as far as I can remember it hasn't been much of an issue when I haven't had a show. Take now for instance. Since our signal has been down 2.5 months, I've hardly looked for anything at all and not even really cared to look. It's been refreshing to have part of my life back.

So what about you? Why do you keep buying new stuff? Is it mostly to tickle the ears or bring you closer to God?

I don't think that anyone here will say that their quest for music is all about God. Anyone who does would be lying. Put my name at the top of the list.

I think there are several factors:

1. We get tired of the same old thing. Do you really want to read the same book over and over? You only need one. Do you want to watch the same movie over and over? Can't watch but one at a time. Life gets stagnant just repeating the same thing endlessly. I want some variety.

2. We are looking for some music to help draw us closer to God. We want some music that pleases God (in our minds, anyway) that just rocks our faces off.

3. I had a couple of other reasons that slipped my mind as I started #3. I'll post them if/when I remember them.

Put my name on that list too.

We can ask ourself the question if music can bring us closer to God?
If yes what kind of music can bring you closer to God?
Is it the hard rocking music that brings you closer to God?
Or is the the praise and worship music what brings you closer to God?
Or is it a combination of both music that brings you closer to God.
Music can help us to praise and worship God when we don't have the words to praise and worship Him.


I agree with Chris we get tired of the same old things.
We want variety, that's why we keep buying new music.
Sometimes it are lyrics of parts of lyrics that touch you.
Then it seems the song is written for you.
Aren't that the songs God shows you something?

I will also go on record as saying that I do need to question myself as to why so MUCH new music. I'm trying to do better by not purchasing things that I know will only get a couple of spins and then forever sit on a shelf or in a box until I either trade it or throw it away.

alldatndensum wrote:

I don't think that anyone here will say that their quest for music is all about God. Anyone who does would be lying. Put my name at the top of the list.

I can certainly relate! I don't know how many times in my life I listened to music that...sure, I wanted it to be Christian, or, at least, have some Christian slant to the message, but...I was really after cool, heavy music that rocked and got me "pumped up."

alldatndensum wrote:

1. We get tired of the same old thing. Do you really want to read the same book over and over? You only need one. Do you want to watch the same movie over and over? Can't watch but one at a time. Life gets stagnant just repeating the same thing endlessly. I want some variety.

That reminds me of a time many years ago when I was just...bored, "burned out," and didn't care about music, particularly Christian hard rock/metal. Obviously, I needed a break.

My quest for new music has very little to do with God. But then I don't really spend much time looking for new music, I come here instead, and check out all the new music others have found.

When I want to get closer to God I don't listen to music, I read my bible and fellowship with other Christians.

The main reason I listen to Christian music is so that I don't desire to listen to secular music.

Wow, I'm gone for 4 days to visit my daughter and this thread really took off !
Great stuff here.

Good questions too.

Several years ago I started to catalogue my music collection (another question as to why we humans would even need to do that) and I entitled it: "Jim's INSATIABLE Christian Music Collection"

Insatiable: Never satisfied

....interesting.

I was just telling my future son-in-law that it's universal human nature to never be satisfied. We are fallen, even as His Children, and we will never find satisfaction here. And that goes along with music. We get a "high" from a song we really like... it can change your emotions (maybe even affect seratonin), but playing the same song over and over wears it out and it may not have the same affect... thus the need for a new song.

God is fully satisfied and even He seeks to hear a new song

Great discussion. I too have wondered recently about the on-going "need" to buy new CD's all the time. Now, compared with some, I don't buy all that much...maybe 2 or 3 CD's a month? But still, I'm always "on the hunt" for more, and there's an insatiable quality to my searching.

I love the following line, BTW.

Guilty/Forgiven wrote:

God is fully satisfied and even He seeks to hear a new song

People are built like cups. We are made to be filled with God's blessings. All that we have that is good can be counted as blessings. Blessings flow from Heaven into our cups until they are full, and when we overflow people around us are blessed. The thing about being blessed is that blessings are like lightning, they rarely strike twice in the same place. We have to move to catch what is being poured out. As soon as a person stops moving to catch the flow then that which remains in his cup becomes stagnate. His cup isn't being refreshed and nothing is flowing out. The contents of his cup drop to room temperature and he enters a state known as lukewarm.

Whether I am searching for new music or preaching , what is important is that I am searching. I want to get filled...blessed, so I have to keep moving. Complacency is my enemy. Music is not why I receive what I receive from God, but my active, not passive, heart is. I was not created to be just satisfied but to be saturated, to be overfilled with that which flows from God. Every step on this stairway to His presence is important. Today we have opportunities that no other generation before us has had. We have resources that other generations could only dream about. We are not to be timid or weary in our quest for treasures in the things that surround us. The generations waiting will judge us and find us either prisoner bound by complacency or good stewards of the arts and technology that God is pouring out.


"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by the dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy course; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat."

Deep.

That's a great quote from Teddy Roosevelt!

alldatndensum wrote:

I don't think that anyone here will say that their quest for music is all about God. Anyone who does would be lying. Put my name at the top of the list.

I think there are several factors:

1. We get tired of the same old thing. Do you really want to read the same book over and over? You only need one. Do you want to watch the same movie over and over? Can't watch but one at a time. Life gets stagnant just repeating the same thing endlessly. I want some variety.

I agree the quest for music has to do with a ton of stuff for me, my name would certainly be on that list as well. In terms of new music, well i buy a lot of it but i don't think that it's because i get tired of the old stuff. On some occasions ill listen to only 1 song for a whole week just because i can't get enough, but i still love it after that and all of the songs i enjoy stay part of my constant repetoire (yupp that means i listen to a lot of stuff regularly) I think for me new music is partly that constant quest whether it to be to glorify God or just other reasons too but also because i want to add. Im always learning through music and discovering new connections and new feelings through it. If i buy new stuff it's like building a chord i just want to stack more on and see how much i can pump through me pretty much until my heart explodes lol.