The Mystery of Music, Part I (Is this Glorifying God?)

I don't have much time, so this could be a quick post, depending on how fast I type and think.

Part I: Why Music?

Music is a natural function of man. If you're human, you have some tendency toward music. I believe that God has given this great gift which we use to express our feelings. Music adds a whole new level of emotion and expression to thoughts or ideas. It really is the "universal language."

Why has God given us music, though? Is it just to give us temporary pleasure, or does it have some greater purpose?

If we view our lives with a Biblical worldview, we believe that every part of our existence is meant to be used for some purpose by God. We are here to glorify Him and spread His light. This view applies to all aspects of our life, including music. I've heard arguments (and witnessed practical application of) the idea that music should be separate from the rest of our life. This couldn't be further from the truth. We must remain whole, and not segregate different parts of our lives. In Jesus' words,

And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. (Mark 3:25)

A similar rule applies to our lives. We cannot ''believe'' one thing and do another. As the old adage says, you should practice what you preach.

Whatever we do with our bodies, whether it be physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual, we should treat them as borrowed items. If you were entrusted with another person's belongings, you would treat them with the highest respect (hopefully). Perhaps this is not the case with things which belong to you. You may not be as careful with them, because you assume that if something happens to them, it's your personal loss. I'll be the first to admit that I'm less careful with things that are mine. One thing which we are forbidden to treat as a personal belonging, however, is our bodies.

In 1 Corinthians 6:19, Paul offers a warning about treating our bodies as our own:

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

We should give our bodies the respect that we would give something which has been loaned to us. We are not our own, we belong to God. We are the temple of His Holy Ghost. Think about that.

We are a temple.

Temples, Churches, Chapels, and Sanctuaries hold a peculiar place in the mind of man. Even the most conservative of us are moved by the solemnity and spirituality of high church proceedings. There is something holy about the reverence shown in these churches. The whole worship service helps an individual keep in mind that he or she is in the presence of God. We are always in His presence, but a service like this brings that to the front of our mind.

This brings me to my next point (well, it's really a question): What kind of music would you play in a temple? The ever-present knowledge of God's omnipresence that a temple elicits from a human makes many of us think that the music would have to be perfect. It would have to be purposefully glorifying to God before we would play it for Him, wouldn't it?

In conclusion (of this part), we see that God's plan for music is for it to bring him glory. We need to constantly keep this in mind as we listen to, compose, or play music. Question #1 for if the music is what it should be is this:

1. Is this glorifying God? Or: (Would I play this for God or his angels?)



And always keep in mind that

...some people have entertained angels without knowing it. (Hebrews 13:2b)

Would you play your music for God's angels, if you knew that they were in your presence?