A concerned mother was surveying our display table after a seminar looking
for an appropriate CD for her adult son who wasn’t living for Jesus. “What
kind of music does he listen to now?” I inquired.
“Rock music. It’s loud and sets my nerves on edge. I know that it’s bad and
I want to replace it with Christian music. Can you show me something he
would like?” Although I wanted to “make a sale,” I didn’t think she should get her son
Christian music at that time. Let me explain why.
When you say you want some “rock music,” it’s like saying you want a book
about history without knowing what “history” you want. American? European?
Maybe the history of Spanish dances in California between 1769 and 1835?
(This actually was a history paper I wrote in college.) Just as you need to
know what kind of history you want to read before you buy a book, you have
to know what kind of rock music someone listens to before you buy them an
album. If you give your child the wrong style of music, it’s worse than
giving him nothing at all. How can that be?
Remember when your elderly auntie sent you child-size booties for Christmas
even though you were a teenager? She meant well, but her gift was an insult
to you. Why? Her lack of knowledge about your size and age, likes and
dislikes, showed that she really didn’t really know you and didn’t care to
know about you. If she cared, she could have easily made the effort to find
out your shoe size. Her gift told you that she was “out-of-touch” when it
came to your life. Getting someone the wrong music can be just as insulting.
“Instead of getting your son some music he probably won’t listen to,” I
suggested to this mother, “why not spend more time praying for him instead?
Remember, his problem is not his music. That’s just a symptom of a deeper
need. His problem is he isn’t allowing Jesus be his Lord and Savior. Why not
pray specifically that your son would live for Jesus and let the music take
care of itself?”
She was surprised that I didn’t try to sell her some music she didn’t need,
and she promised to spend more time in prayer for her son. After she left
the table, I began talking with others and didn’t remember our conversation
until months later when I received a letter from her reminding me what I had
said.
She had gone home that evening and began praying earnestly for her son.
Previously she had been praying less than five minutes a day for him “to
turn his life around.” After our conversation, she began praying ten minutes
a day and more specifically that God would open his eyes to the Gospel.
Within three months of beginning to pray, her son wrote her that he had
rededicated his life to Christ and that he was listening to some wonderful
worship music that he wanted to share with her!! What a dramatic and
specific answer to prayer. She thanked me for suggesting that she pray
instead of “throwing” music at her son. Now she knew what kind of music he
listened to and asked for advice about what CDs she could send him. What a
blessing!
Remember that we are told in 1 John 5:14 & 15 that if we ask anything in His
will, he hears our request and will answer it. John immediately then
challenged believers in the next verse to apply this principle by asking God
to bring life to unbelievers.
Do you pray for your children? I’m sure you do! Instead of forcing your
child to listen to Christian music, I’d like to challenge you to pray that
God would open your child’s eyes to the Gospel. When that happens, it’s
likely his music and other forms of entertainment will began to change as
well.
3/15/2
You can read more of Al’s Analysis at http://www.almenconi.com
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