Music
If the eyes are the window to the soul, then music is the language that your soul speaks.
Have you ever just felt a jumble of emotions? Twisted thoughts and feelings with words that just won’t form? You can’t find the words to talk to anyone, pray, or even think. If someone asks you if you’re ok, you’re fighting tears and saying your fine. And it’s not because you want to be lying, but because there are simply no words to explain the depths that you’re feeling. Just…everything all at once. Confusing and unintelligible uncommunicable some kind a way.
It’s so easy to sink into a depressive state when you feel like you can’t reach out for help. Sometimes everything that you were feeling sinks away into nothingness…and that isn’t any easier to deal with. How do we reach out and say, “I’m sad for no reason”? And there are not often words to communicate the emptiness you might feel.
A beautiful song with well thought out lyrics can help your thoughts and feelings flow. Giving them an outlet. I know you thought of a song just now. One that said everything you didn’t even know you were thinking. There are songs to lift you up. Songs to express the pain and sorrow you’re feeling. Songs that are angry and songs that are funny. Songs to dance to and songs to cry to. Even the songs that make you cry can be cathartic and healing.
God knew music was healing in James 5:13 He says, “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.” Christopher Bergland wrote in Psychology today says, ‘The number one reason that music has the power to make someone feel good is that it triggers positive emotions based on personal memories.”
There are quite a few studies that talk about what kind of music you should listen to. And how it affects different people of different ages differently. So, the selection of music is definitely a key point. I’ve found that when I pour songs of worship and praise into my life that my entire outlook is lifted. When Job and David were devastated by events in their lives the Bible says they cried out to God. But they didn’t curse Him, they praised Him. They sang songs of love and devotion claiming the truths they knew to be true about God and His character; His protection over them. Praise brings God into the scene. Praise opens the gates of Heaven and the doors of blessings. Praise dissipates worry and dilutes concern and fear. Praise tarnishes sadness and magnifies goodness. Praise takes our focus off of the nothingness or overwhelmingness that we are feeling and puts the focus on God and suddenly everything feels lighter.
My friends, Job knew what it was like to be sad. He lost everything. His children, his wealth, and his health. His wife and his friends told him to curse God. But he never did. Jesus himself felt sad John 11:35 says, “”Jesus wept.” Even Jesus sung songs of worship. Matthew 26:30 “When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.”
I hear you; you’re telling me hymns aren’t your style. Too old fashioned. Choruses are too new. Or you’d love to sing…if your voice would cooperate. Truly, you can worship and utilize music with more than just your voice. Sing if you want, the sound of your voice isn’t as important as the feelings in your heart. Lift your heart up (metaphorically of course). Lift your hands. Stand. Sit. Dance or lay prostate. Use your hands to sign songs. Cry as you listen. Let the jumble of thoughts and feelings go to God in a big heap of emotions that make no sense because even when we don’t understand what is going on in us God does understand. I don’t know about you, but I always feel infinitely better to have my heart lifted to God with all the things I can’t find words to say.
“Music speaks what cannot be expressed, soothes the mind gives it rest, heals the heart and makes it whole, flows from heaven to the soul”-K.C. Lynn.
