Guest Post

Rebekah Lyn

Reblogged from Rebekah Lyn’s Kitchen

The words we feed into our brains have tremendous power. When we listen to words spoken in anger, filled with venom and hate, we begin to feel angry ourselves. Even if we just have the television or radio on in the background, without paying attention to what is on or being said, the same sense of anxiousness and anger rises within us. Conversely, if positive, kind words are being spoken in gentle tones, the emotional temperature of a room will cool.

I probably had a subconscious awareness long before I consciously noticed the change in myself. In high school, I was in the marching band and I made a Friday night mix tape I would listen to before football games to get me excited for the night and the show we would perform during halftime. In college, I used music to help me study, recalling specific songs that played as I prepared for a test helped me remember the information I needed.

In my late 20s, I went through a troubled period where I was listening to a lot of songs full of angst and anger, but I also discovered a new Christian radio station that I would occasionally tune into. It took several years, but as I listened to Christian music more often, I noticed I didn’t enjoy the other music as much. I could physically feel my body and emotions change when I listened to those songs I had found so comforting before.

In the Psalms alone, praise to God is mentioned over 150 times. Shifting our focus from the troubles of the world to the greatness of God, the Creator of all things, brings a positive change to our state of mind. For a period I suffered from migraines and often even the medicine didn’t help dull the pain, but if I played praise music, I noticed the pain would fade away. I quickly uploaded all my favorite Christian groups to my iTunes library and created playlists to have the songs that spoke to me the most in one place.

Don’t ask me what my favorite song or group is. That changes depending on the season I find myself in. The group that has been part of my collection since I first found that Christian radio station is Casting Crowns. It’s hard to believe they recently celebrated twenty years together as a band. I still remember the first time I heard “Who Am I?” as I drove into work. It feels like only months rather than years. The very first Christian musician that seemed to see right into my heart, though, was Al Denson. I discovered him at a youth conference when I was in junior high school and played his first cassette tape, Stand Up, so much it finally fell apart. Fortunately, I had found a way to record it on my computer because that album was never made into a CD.

God created us to be in relationship with Him and to sing His praise. When your mind and heart are filled with the words of encouragement God has for us every day, it becomes difficult to harbor anger. Whether I’m stuck in traffic or feeling overwhelmed by a difficult decision, I only have to turn on the local Christian station Z88.3, choose one of my Pandora playlists, or pop in one of the CDs I still carry in my car, and I enter the presence of God. Singing to Him reminds me that He is still in control and has a plan for my life. That brings hope like nothing else.

Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of his faithful people. Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the people of Zion be glad on their king. Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to Him with timbres and harp. For the Lord takes delight in his people; He crowns the humble with victory. Psalm 149:1-4

I’ve started curating songs on Spotify to share with others. Whether you need encouragement or want to sing praise for how great the Lord is, you can find links to both playlists on my resources

Tags: #amblogging, Casting Crowns, Christian bloggers, Faith, God, Power of words, Psalms, The power of Christian music, Z88.3