Your Faith
Pain, Music, and God
Pain is one of the harsh realities of life. It can suddenly smack you in the face or slowly eat away at your soul… Pain is an equal opportunity affliction that doesn’t care about your race, education, experience or position in life… Like an unwanted visitor who won’t stop knocking, eventually we have to deal with it. (pg. 8 Wounded Heart)
One of the reasons that God created music is to help us overcome our pain. Music can make us jump and sing, laugh or cry. Music can push buttons in our soul like nothing else. It can connect us with God in the deepest way or drive us away from Him. For many people, music is the most spiritual thing that they have ever experienced. For years I had a God sized hole in my heart and soul before I came to know Christ. Music was the deepest thing that I could find but over time, it left me emptier and emptier. Deep down inside, I knew music was part of the answer but the music I was listening to wasn’t connecting me with what I really needed.
We all have to answer the question of what we will do with God. This goes far beyond some type of vague belief in “something” or attending a church service or even belonging to a church. God has created us with a deep need to have an intimate, passionate and ongoing relationship with Him. Try as we may, He cannot be replaced by anything. He created us with a need to know Him and be vulnerable and open with Him.
When I was 17 years old, I made a personal vow that I would never let anything or anyone hurt me. In an attempt to shut out pain, I unintentionally shut out love, happiness, joy and the fulfillment of success. The funny thing is that what started this downward spiral was losing a football game. This deeply wounded me and began to drive other decisions I made in my life. It affected my friendships, relationships and outlook on life. Over the next ten years I tried to fill my “empty hole” with sports, partying, relationships, education and experience. The more I achieved and experienced, the emptier I felt. It got to a point where many people I talked to wanted to be like me but I didn’t want to be me! I seemed successful on the outside but on the inside I was empty and in despair. I had everything I wanted and it didn’t matter. It was painfully clear that I didn’t have the solutions to life’s deepest questions, but God had been waiting for me.
A few years later, I walked into Christ Church in Montclair, NJ to listen to the music coming through the windows. Something began to happen as tears began to roll down my face. This was bizarre to me at the time but I knew I was supposed to be there. I kept going on Wednesday nights for about a month and a half. The first time I went on a Sunday morning, I asked Jesus to forgive my sins, come into my heart and lead my life. God used music to open my heart to the message He had for me. The empty hole inside of me was suddenly filled. I had peace for the first time in my life. I didn’t have to find the “next thing” anymore. I was strangely fulfilled but still had a lot of pain in my heart from my past choices and experiences.
Pain must be dealt with. So over the next couple of years I would consistently cry on Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings as God peeled back layer after layer of the pain and disappointment that I had experienced. Music was my gateway to God. There are many people who are walking around with pain that God wants to heal. Like me in my younger years, many people have a wall around their heart but instead of keeping the pain out, it actually keeps the pain in and shuts out God, who is the only One who can heal it.
Psalm 22:3 teaches us that God inhabits the praises of His people. That means that when we praise God, He actually comes into our presence. His presence is where healing takes place. Unhealed pain over time often causes us to become bitter. Hebrews 12:15 warns us, “See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” This bitterness will not only ruin our lives but will cause trouble in others as well!
I have seen this healing power not only in my personal life but as a minister in the church as well as at hundreds of events over the years. Whenever music is anointed with the presence of God, lives are changed. Style of music is not as important as the origin, inspiration and message. Many doubt that God can really change their lives, but let’s see what His Word says: “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit.” (Psalm 147:3-5)
Several things are clear. First is that God is the Healer of broken hearts. He “binds up their wounds,” which means He is willing and able to come and wrap up our wounded heart in His love and hold it until it is healed. Next is that He is mighty in power! Lastly, He understands. We often struggle in a place where we feel that no one understands us. God’s Word teaches us that there is no limit to what God understands! We so often seek help and guidance from people instead of from God.
Pain is a reality that we can’t totally escape or avoid. It must be dealt with. Music is one of the keys to growing closer to God as well as understanding Him. It allows us to open our hearts so that He can heal them. God is available and music is often our avenue to Him. We can also help others connect with God in a greater way and experience personal healing through the music that we share with them. 