Secular Music Vs. Contemporary Christian Music

First Timothy 6:3-19

A question my wife, Vicki has asked me to consider more than once, is “Why does ‘secular’ music often sound better than ‘Contemporary Christian’ music?”.

Vicki says she feels “secular music has a technical edge”.

My wife has a well trained ear for good, and better than good music. She ought to. She has a degree in music education. I guess that is why I have no idea what she is talking about when she describes the differences in what she hears in secular music vs. Contemporary Christian music. I just don’t have the language or the notion that goes with the language to identify what she says is lacking. (This is a good analogy of what it takes to pull certain messages out of ambiguous Bible passages). However, I do remember when I first began listening to Contemporary Christian music in the early 90’s. I felt it was pretty lame and was not proud to share it with my friends.

Good Christian music is out there. A lot of music Vicki and I have on c.d. is not played on the radio.

Anyway, in response to Vicki’s question, I would say ‘Secular musicians do what they do for money. Christian musicians do what they do for ministry’. They don’t make a lot of money. So, they do not invest a lot of money into their music projects.

A perfect segue into First Timothy 6:3-19
, if I must say so. I read the 1st Timothy passage two days ago and did not know what to do with it until now.

Would someone pat me on the back for this insight when I am finished with this blog entry? Sheesh! I really should be more modest. I just can't believe I found my intended devotional reading some compatible object lesson.

Above, you see there are secular musicians and Contemporary Christian musicians. In some secular, mainstream bands, you will find there are Christians. This is the analogy I was looking for. Why do Christians not minister through music but instead, choose to make a career out of music? Maybe, it is because they do not know how to be content with little.

In verse 6:5, Paul says, “…who have been robbed of the truth and think Godliness is a means to financial gain”. Paul may have been referring to II Corinthians 11:7 when it was customary to pay a prophet or minister for his “performance”. The people thought since Paul would not accept payment, he was peddling something of no value.
Paul may have considered it robbery to accept financial gifts for supplying the Gospel when there was not a need for financial support. (Now here is a very appropriate place to say, It is entirely up to the minister himself for what he/she feels is too much of a burden when considering raising families, paying bills and pastoring a congregation.).

Some ministers preach the Old Testament law under which a Levite received no inheritance in the land of Canaan because God was their inheritance. And God would order the people to bring food and money to the Levites for their services as a ‘Spiritual Father’. Other ministers, such as one Wesleyan minister I know has a job and a contracting company that would provide an income. He would view receiving funds from the church as ‘robbery’.

Paul says, ‘just don’t use the gospel to get rich’.
He has said, "I know what it is to be content in plenty or in want.".

The passage is about contentment. God wants us to be content. Money corrupts and causes greed. Greed, essentially is coveting. So, what we may covet may become a god. It may end up that we only want, or want “things” more than God.