Christ-Centered Life: Our Song

What does American Idol, The Voice, and The Masked Singer all have in common?

Music.

In the midst of a pandemic, the producers are still orchestrating episodes to get the music to the masses because they know it does something for the people on whose ears the music falls.

The audience is somehow connected to the performers who would otherwise merely be strangers walking the empty streets of their hometown still six feet apart.

No matter the circumstances; music has a way of penetrating the soul.

Some of our fondest memories revolve around music from our past! Our clothes and hair styles were largely due by what we witnessed from our favorite artists and entertainers. Certain phrases from popular songs were put on repeat in daily conversations. Some people even preferred certain vehicles and public hangouts based on music videos on MTV or VH1.

Remember when concerts turned in to a competition of measuring the highest possible decibels in the confined spaces of arenas and coliseums? Speakers stacked on top of speakers on the stages in some of the world’s largest cities. Ear-piercing sounds mixed with strums on the guitar, beats on a drum, and voices in the microphones.

I’ll never forget back in 2002 at a small concert of one of my favorite musical duos when they decided to place the lyrics on a small screen for the audience to see. They wanted every person in the room to sing along. No flashy lights. No smoke. No loud speakers. Just a couple of guys with a guitar and a microphone. It was corporate worship at its finest!

There’s a collection of songs in the Bible called Psalms. These psalms were written for all kinds of occasions. Many scholars believe the Psalms can be divided into seven categories: psalms of praise, psalms of lament, psalms of thanksgiving, psalms of trust, psalms of kingship, wisdom psalms, and imprecatory psalms.

The Psalms’ immediate authorship and audience was intended for the congregation engaged in worship of the Hebrew God, Yahweh. But for those who identify as Christians, we believe the ultimate intent of the Psalms points to the revelation and emanate glory of Jesus Christ.

Think about these moments in Scripture when God’s people sang. David sang before the Lord, Noah was a songwriter (Ex 15), Deborah is attributed for writing a song (Judges 5), Jehoshaphat had the choir singing as they led the army into battle, Jesus and His disciples sang a hymn following the Last Supper, Paul and Silas sang in jail, and Revelation speaks of the saints and angels singing around the throne of heaven.

So what does this mean for those seeking to live a Christ-centered life? No matter the circumstances or seasons of our life, Christ is Our Song.

When you’re feeling abandoned and alone; Christ will be your Song. When the darkness closes in; Christ will be your Song. When you’re feeling confused and full of doubt; Christ will be your Song. When you feel empty and depleted; Christ will be your Song.

When you’re feeling happy and full; Christ will be your Song. When life is full of light and free of worry; Christ will be your Song. When you feel blessed and highly favored; Christ will be your Song.

If you don’t have a song in your heart that points to Christ, Stop. Grab your bible. Pick up your phone. Turn on the radio. Get God’s Word in you. Let the living, breathing, active Word of God do its work in you.

Let the melody resonate with your heart. Let the lyrics get tangled up in your soul until it flows through your veins. Let the rhythm of the riches of Christ breathe life into you. Let the anthem of His grace become the pulse for your every move. This is it; this is the Christ-centered life. This is Our Song!