Music is important to me. You need to know that first.
Music is incredible if you think about it. What does one do when they sing? They change their voice from making bland, speaking tones, to making beautiful tones of sound that can be written down on paper as certain notes and in rhythms and beats. Being able to make the switch from one to another is rather extraordinary and yet effortless - well, for most people anyway.
For me, music is an expression of the soul. To be able to put what one truly feels down on paper and then put it to music is amazing. Then the author is able to shape the music in such a way that explains their emotions on an even deeper field on which words don’t exist. Think about it. Have you ever heard a song without any words that made you feel a certain way, think about a certain thing or person, or even give you encouragement or determination? I certainly have. Even songs with lyrics - the statements that are given under the lyrics by the music itself can open up entirely new meanings to a song - even if it’s just a personal meaning.
In my life music plays a large role. I’m not a professional or even semi-professional singer, song-writer, or instrument-player. I’ve tried to learn to play the piano and would still love to invest time in that one day, but for now I simply love listening to music and singing in non-professional settings such as my church choir or just in my room or car. I was in my middle school and high school concert and marching band. There I learned to read music and rhythms and I have a deeper respect for music because of it. The main point is that I love listening to music in a big way. Most days, you can hear music coming from my room, and when I’m out and about I most always have my earphones in and iPod on. Music and I go way back and will forever be friends - close friends. I once told a friend that if I ever had to give up one of my 5 senses, I would choose hearing last because I believe that, at least to me, music is a gift from God.
My point in explaining this to you is that recently, I’ve discovered that I have allowed music to take on a negative position in my life.
First of all, my taste in music is vast. I can honestly say that I can enjoyably listen to any music (with the exceptions of country and reggae). Unfortunately, that means that a lot of the music to which I listen doesn’t project the Christian values by which I live my life. Most popular music today has to do with sex, drinking, unhealthy relationships, women, demeaning those women, money, fame and other subjects that are more commonly glorified than fought against.
My Christian life has no room for that music. So I’ve made a decision, and now by placing it on my blog, a public decision to rid my life of such music.
The second, and perhaps the most destructive, way music has become a negative part of my life is the fact that it completely distracts me from more important matters and it has furthermore become a subtle vice that allows me to avoid thinking or confronting an issue.
Let me explain. The actual reason I came to realize this destructive aspect of music came about when I realized that whenever I had something important to do, or whenever I had something troubling on my mind, I would put on music. Eventually, I realized that my sole purpose for putting on music in these situations was to drown out that which I was thinking about or to cause a distraction from the project on which I should have been working.
You must further understand that I don’t just listen to music. My mother, sister and friends can attest to the fact that I know MANY lyrics to MANY songs. If a song comes out that I even remotely like, then I will quickly memorize the words simply due the numerous times that I will listen to the song. Then, I will play and sing along to the song over, and over, and over.
My mother once pointed out to me that I could most likely tell her every word to the song that just came on the radio, but I couldn’t quote 5+ scriptures from the Word by which I live my life. At first I just played it off as no big deal, but now (and especially after Passion 2011) I realize just how big a deal that truly is. What does this say about the One for whom I claim to live my life? It says that listening and memorizing secular, and often destructive music, is more important to me than memorizing His very Words and, therefore, his lack of supremacy in my life.
So, now that you understand how music affects me in both positive in negative ways, you’ll have a better understanding of my post’s title.
I’ve made the decision to be completely music-free for the month of January in order to reevaluate the role that music plays in my life and, furthermore, to be able to use the time that I typically listen to music (and I’m talking about hours, here) to instead focus on the issues and responsibilities that are currently part of my life and to focus on God’s Word and the memorizing of his Word in order to draw closer to Him and, more importantly, to be able to bring Him more glory.
It’s not going to be easy.
Part of my writing this blog is so that you, faithful readers, will keep me accountable to my decision. The other part is that I know if I make it public, I’ll have to stick with it - whatever works, right?
I’ll be blogging about the experience as it unfolds. It is important to note this: I am obviously not in control of others playing music around me, but I will certainly not be asking them to. Furthermore, this commitment will not be hurtful of my worshiping God at church during music-led worship services.
So far, I’ve been personal music-free for 5 days and it’s already tough. I literally have been craving to put on some music while cleaning my room, working on a couple projects, and just chilling, but I haven’t.
I will say that my prayer/quiet time life has already improved as a result. I find myself having more time, time during which I would normally play music, in which I can have a longer quiet time with God or even multiple quiet times in one day. I’m really enjoying this and already seeing God’s Word have a greater impact on my daily life.
I said this before, but I want to say it again. I’m not doing this for me. I’m not doing it for anybody. I’m doing this for God in hopes that by permanently cutting out negative, destructive music and by taking a break from all music for a month, I’ll be able to draw closer to the One I love, the One I live for, and the One that is enough for me - with or without music.
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