Based on conversations I've had with other musicians on this topic, this post should go over about as well as the "sloppy wet kiss" verse of the song How He Loves in a bible belt church. Nevertheless, it's something I feel I'm qualified to discuss because I've held passionate views on both sides of the fence at different times during my life. Before we dive into this abyss together I'll make one thing VERY CLEAR - these are my views on the topic and the standards I've applied to my own life. I do not judge other worship musicians who see the topic differently, nor do I think less of those who haven't adopted my personal convictions. I'll also point out that this blog will not address whether or not Christians should listen to secular music. We'll save that for another day.
From the time I began playing music, around age 10, there was pressure to play music on days other than Sunday. From school bands to garage bands I had plenty of opportunities to develop my craft. I built my musical abilities by studying various genres. I had a well-rounded musical education from a variety of musical categories. At the age of 17 I began traveling with a regional southern gospel group, playing hundreds of churches within every denomination conceivable all across the Midwest US. Many of my country gospel licks were developed by studying country music. My soloing ability was developed by studying jazz musicians. I'm not quite sure how, but I even incorporated some rock into my southern gospel playing style. Throughout this period in my life I was a party to multiple conversations with fellow believers in which the appropriateness of Christians playing secular music was questioned. Here are some of the arguments I used to defend my position:
"Secular music helps me become a better musician. I use my musical gifts to worship God and being a better musician helps me to do that"
"We have Christian carpenters in the church...can they only build churches or can they build secular buildings, too? My talent is no different than their talent...if they can use theirs to build things for the world why can't I play music for the world?"
"You're too radical. You're too heavenly minded to be any earthly good. How am I supposed to witness to people if I can't hang out with them? I'm reaching people that would never walk in a church"
I'm sure there were a few more, but you get the picture. I had no issues with playing music for Jesus on Sundays and playing music for the world the rest of the week. I defended that position wholeheartedly for 15 years, always willing to debate someone who disagreed. But then something happened.
My wife and I encountered God in a powerful way in 2016; we were awakened. Awakened out of complacent Christianity. Awakened out of religion and into intimacy with God the Father. The word that continually came up during this wild ride was "consecration". God captivated me with examples of Levitical priests, prophets, Nazarites, disciples of Jesus, and apostles who said "yes" to the radical call of the gospel and "no" to things generally accepted by their culture. I saw in their stories something I had never been willing to give up - myself.
Webster's dictionary defines "consecration" as being "dedicated to a holy purpose". When I look at my life, my calling, my gifts, I consider the necessity of myself being dedicated to holy purposes. Like the items used in the Old Testament tabernacle that, once anointed for holy service, were not to be used for common purposes, it occurred to me that Paul's instruction to present my body as a living sacrifice meant my life should be no different.
In prayer one morning I asked God to show me His will in this matter because, to be honest, it was a tough one for me to give up. I genuinely enjoyed playing secular music. I'm not talking about cheating and drinking songs with vulgar lyrics - just good, old fashioned songs about love and life. I enjoyed gathering with my friends and making music together. As I prayed, I thought of my musical family members whom I cherish dearly and the memories I've made picking out tunes with them. Would God really ask me to give it all up?
God reminded me that the word "sacrifice" carries weight. King David said "I won't offer a sacrifice that costs me nothing". Consecrating my musical gifts wasn't about quitting a sinful act; it was about purifying something that should be anointed. That morning in prayer God showed me the beauty of what I had in Him: Relationship. Covenant. Perfect love. He compared my commitment to Him through the same lens I view my marriage. That was the mental picture that gave me my answer.
You see, when I took a vow to be Kelly's husband, I committed many things to her and her alone. My finances were no longer just mine; they were now hers, too. I'll take it one step further...our finances were not just ours...you could also say they weren't anyone else's. My vow didn't stop at finances. All of my possessions? Not just ours, but no none else's. Our intimacy? Not just ours, but no one else's. From that point forward, my bed, my kiss, my held hand, my devotion, my vacations, my date nights, my sick days, my healthy days, my poor days, my rich days, and my love unto death solely belonged to Kelly. The things I committed to my wife can belong to no one else!
That morning I asked myself, "what must I commit to God?" What parts of me belong to Him and Him alone? His word declares that I am anointed and set apart. When I vowed to be a living sacrifice, I put myself completely in His hands, denying my own rights, ambitions, and dreams. Before, my life was for my satisfaction and my purposes; now it is for His.
Because of this, I have committed my musical gift to Him, to be used for His purposes only. Not as a matter of sin/righteousness, but of consecration. I've vowed to heaven that my musical gifts will only be used as a matter of worship. Not entertainment. Not personal satisfaction. Only worship. Why? Because worship is much more than me playing music at church. Worship is my gift to my King and I want to give Him something that belongs to no one else. Eddie James once said "some use God to show their gift; others use their gift to show their God". I want my worship to be holy, anointed, and pure. I want people to see Jesus through me in every aspect of life, but especially when I'm on a platform. After all, I'm not up there to be seen. I'm up there to worship in a way that runs over and affects others. I refuse to do so with a tainted, secondhand gift.
I want to reiterate that I have many friends who haven't made this vow in their own lives. I do not look down on them or believe them to be unrighteous. All I will ask is this: will you ask God for direction in this area of your life? The revelation I received made my choice an easy one, though the execution has been difficult. I've offended friends and family. I've probably come off as stubborn, legalistic, or self-righteous. However, much like in marriage, the opinions of others shouldn't be weighted too heavily. The covenant is between the bride and the groom...and no one else.
If you take this path, I can assure you there will be hurt feelings. Godly people you respect will tell you it's unnecessary, that it is nonsense. Your Christian friends will say you're too radical. The world will accuse you of being "holier than thou". But, that's okay. It's not about them. It's about looking into the burning eyes of a Father who has love for us we can never comprehend in our human minds. It's about hearing the angels cry "Holy!" day and night, night and day. It's about envisioning the elders casting their crowns at the feet of Jesus, the only one worthy of praise. It's about a beautiful covenant between man and God through which He anoints His most precious possessions, His children, for holy purposes. It's about a declaration that says "This gift is only for Him, and no one else can have it".
As a artist, songwriter and rapper myself I was just in the same place. In my country I was one of the most gifted and popular gospel artist. I won awards, wrote for the most popular artists in the mainstream and was scoring hits as artist and songwriter. I was evangelizing to them. But at some point God called me and asked me to also consecrate myself to Him and him alone.
The biggest sacrifice of my life but I am encouraged to read this. Thanks Nick. Emanuel From Suriname, South America