Do you have family and friends that you want to come to know Jesus? I know I do. They call themselves Christian by life, but they don't live the life. But who am I to judge?
One way I like to minister to others is through Christian music. You have flavors from contemporary to rock to hip-hop. My brother likes the more colorful side of hip-hop. So that's the genre of choice I try to get him to listen to. I think, "If he likes Lecrae, then my brother will get more of the gospel message." Once in a while, I can get a song onto his playlists. Surprisingly, my brother discovered Christian music on his own.
My sister loves '90s music and heavy metal. No offense to '90s Christian music, but it was eons away from what music is today. Today, mainstream and Christian music have an identical feel. I've tried to hook my sister on two of Christian rock's more prominent bands, Skillet and Disciple. Unfortunately, my sister sees through my evangelistic facade. She says, "I'm not into the music."
We bring people to the Cross through music. Music can attract people of all genres, and I love it when I hear that it has brought people to Jesus.
I listened to Christian music before I came to Jesus: Matthew West, Kutless, Skillet, Audio Adrenaline, and so on. So, what worked for me would work for others. However, this isn't always the case. Sometimes, you need to let people discover music on their own.
I must remember that my job is to 'plant a seed' in people, not drag them by the hair. The Lord brings them, not us. Shoving music down people's throats is similar to shoving a Bible down their throats. It won't work.
The Lord helped my brother discover music that shares the gospel message. He also has a loving mother and brother who share the message. From there, it's his choice. He has to be willing to choose God. He'll discover a relationship with God, a path forward, and the Christian life through his choice. All we have to do is believe.
James 1:19-25: "Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God."
Paul Phillips is a Canadian journalist with 20 years of experience writing and editing digital and print content. He specializes in health, fitness, nutrition, and travel. He loves music, movies, and, of course, living for Jesus.
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