I woke up in a blah mood yesterday. No matter what I did, I just couldn’t shake it. Then I put on some worship music, cranked up the volume, and sang at the top of my lungs. It didn’t take too long, my head cleared, and my mood rocketed. Such is the power of a good worship song. But what is it about singing praises to Jesus that transforms our mood?
One of my favorite speakers and authors, Steve Backland, says Christian music has the power to change our emotions because when we are singing along, we are declaring truth. He points out that it says in Proverbs, “life and death are in the power of the tongue,” so when we say what God says, we are speaking life. When we speak life, we alter the atmosphere around us, our spirits soar, and our emotions naturally follow.
While I’ve always known singing praise songs elevates my mood, it wasn’t until recently I connected the fact that when I belt out a Jesus song, I’m speaking words of faith and hope. For instance, the song that got me juiced yesterday was the Crowder remix of Because He Lives, so this is what I was singing, “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, all fear is gone. Because I know, He holds the future. Life is worth the living just because He lives.” No wonder the slump I was in lifted! Those words are powerful declarations of the reality of my hope in Jesus.
Here are some words to a more contemporary favorite, Way Maker, “You are here, moving in our midst, I worship You, I worship You. You are Way Maker, miracle worker, promise keeper, light in the darkness. My God that is who You are. Even when I don’t see it, You’re working; even when I don’t feel it, You’re working. You never stop. You never stop working.” Since Jesus said, “My Father is always working,” those words are 100% theologically correct. So, why does it take a song to get us to declare that type of truth?
Maybe worship songs are powerful because it’s one of the only times God can get us to agree with the things He says. Perhaps when we are singing those songs and saying things like, “Because He lives, all fear is gone,” we are declaring the truth to ourselves in a way that we won’t argue with. Because, I’m sad to say, most of us are way better at speaking death than we are at speaking life.
Go to your average Christian gathering and listen to what’s discussed before the music. People are talking about sickness, disease, war, and inflation. I’m hearing things like, “Gas prices and groceries are getting so high we aren’t going to be able to afford to live.” What?! I thought, “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,” and “He never stops working.” Which is it? Do we want to agree with God, or do we agree with our fear?
For those who want to agree with God but don’t know where to start, just turn your radio dial to 104.5, our local Christian station, WBVN, and sing along. Sing those words every time you are tempted to grumble and complain. For now, even if you can’t carry a tune in a bucket, sing along with me, “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, all fear is gone. Because I know, He holds the future. Life is worth the living just because He lives.”
No responses yet