Transparent Christian Magazine

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what God really means to me in my life and the things that I learn through being humbled daily. There is a constant transition from dissonance to consonance that shows up in the way I respond to friendship, His word, music, grace towards others, and my general mood. On days that I take the time to recognize where I am blessed and what He is teaching me for the day, I am much more in consonance and harmony. There is less tension, and more release and rest in my soul. On days that I worry myself with finances, where my education is leading and what I can do to take more control in my life, dissonance pulls inside my heart. There are more unresolved thoughts, stressful words that leak out and a general lack of peace.

I’m convinced that life is like writing the perfect composition.

When I sit down to write a piece of music or a song, it can be overwhelming for me to think about the entire song being done at once. I may write a hook to a verse and immediately stress myself by asking “but what will the bridge be? How will this lead into a catchy chorus?” I feel that same stress, but on a spiritual level when I put my focus on where the rest of my life will be and how I am going to live the “catchiest” life possible. By catchiest, I’m referring to worldly things… a nice house, a nice car, trendy clothes or just being provided for… I’ve found that when I sit down and focus specifically on a verse and making it the best it can be without regard to the rest of the song, the details of a chorus and bridge generally fill themselves in. “Catchiness” is provided in my life, not because I yearn or stress over it, but because God provides for me due to the diligence of working on my spiritual walk one day at a time, one verse at a time.

I was sitting down with my co-writer last week to work on a new song for a worship leader up in Michigan and we were talking about the song and where we wanted it go. We had a lot of options and about 4 great themes. Something he told me stuck and refuses to leave my mind. He said that when you have been inspired to write a great song or melody, sometimes creativity has its limits and can stop you in the writing process. He went on to say that great composers and great creative minds look to the next logical movement in the piece when emotion has fizzled. “What chord or note makes logical sense to move to?” I equate this to seeking wisdom in life when your spirit runs dry. I’ll be honest, there are times when I just don’t physically feel the warm embrace that God has wrapped me in so many times. I’ve learned that when my spiritual highs are coming down, God uses that opportunity to make me rely on His word and look to the next logical step, being wisdom.

I think the “hit-makers” in life are the people that live earnestly and seek God in all circumstances. Whether provision is incredible and vast or if ends just squeak by and meet, I think when we worry less about those details and focus on what has been given today, just today, He can work in us to live lives and sing of a joy that draws people in. How many times have you heard a terrible song and turned the station or pressed next?

I do it all the time.

So does the world of non-believers…

Only they’re not pressing next on an iPod, they are turning their hearts off to the love of Christ because we are so worried about how the bills will be paid this month. People are avoiding talking about God, because we get so wrapped up in trying to make a catchier chorus and trying to draw people in with silly little melodies. Sometimes I feel like I’m talking to a bowl of jello when I say things like this. They may jiggle and feel something inside, but just go back to an unmoving bowl of jello, stagnant and never making friends with the whipped cream.

I don’t know how much more blunt I can get than this. When your life is focused on trying to glitz and glamor your way about, GOD CANNOT REACH PEOPLE. You become that song that no one wants to hear and a whole world of people who don’t know the love of Christ press next when they see you. Stop trying to think of your life as a whole and start focusing on what you have been given today, I promise your life will get easier. If God has been pounding on the door of your heart for 17 years because of pain and heartache you are too afraid to face, let Him break you today… you’ve been working on the same dang song for 17 years and still haven’t gotten past the first verse… maybe it’s time for the next logical step… wisdom is right here! I’m writing about this because this is my life every day!

Listen when I tell you that there is no amount of money that will make your life better, there is no car or house that will make your problems go away… those chintzy melodies you’re reaching for, they just get drown out in the real issues of a terribly written song… let Him compose you… let HIM write your days…

He’s trying to reach you, and I don’t know if this is working, but it’s been on my heart for some time now.

With love,

Josh