Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. (Colossians 3:16 NIV)
How do you feel about music on the golf course? I’m somewhat of a music geek, so I actually like tunes during a round.
At an appropriate level, that is. My enjoyment quickly diminishes when someone proves his speaker goes to 11 from another fairway, or I hear the inevitable cacophony caused by dueling speakers from multiple carts. Come to think of it, it’s also pretty annoying when my partner drives off and can’t hear me yelling for a club due to excessive volume.
Time out.
That degenerated quickly. I feel like I just yelled at you to get off my lawn in my “Old Guys Rule” shirt. Did I also mention I used to walk to school, in the snow, uphill both ways?
Grumpy Old Manness aside, I’m actually here to share how music plays a positive role in my spiritual life. I’m a believer in the influence of inputs on outputs, so a majority of my “tunes time” is spent listening to worship tracks.
I find today’s verse encouraging, as I do think the message of Christ can dwell among us richly through song, especially if we take time to meditate on lyrics and how they can apply to our walk with Jesus.
Here are a few of my current favorites.
The message of Christ can dwell among us richly through song, especially if we take time to meditate on lyrics and how they can apply to our walk with Jesus.
“I’m a mess and so are you” (from Francesca Battistelli’s “If We’re Honest”). There is freedom in not only knowing, but also being content, that I don’t have it all together. That’s the beauty of the gospel. We all fall short, but through God’s grace, we are forgiven.
“I was so caught up in who I’m not” (from Plumb’s “Lord I’m Ready Now”): Can I get a show of hands from those who have ever tied their self-worth to the approval of others? Jesus tells me I’m enough, so I no longer worry about living up to those expectations.
“I can feel your presence here with me” (from MercyMe’s “Here With Me”): If you ever feel like you’re struggling through something by yourself, find a spot in nature and crank this bad boy. You won’t need to wait for the bridge to realize you are not alone.
If your time is short for Scripture, may I encourage you to squeeze in some praise songs? In the car. Working out. Walking the dog. You might be surprised by what you learn.
You might also find yourself singing to God with gratitude in your heart.
(P.S. If you need somewhere to start, here’s a link to my Spotify playlist.)
—
Drew Hamilton
April 26, 2021
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The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.