Several weeks ago I got the chance to see a singer who has been working hard to make it for many years in the music business. This singer has an incredible story of how God has worked in his life, the kind of story you can't help but cheer on. He's a known Christian and has chosen to sing secular music. There's nothing wrong with this choice, but that night and the concert was nothing like I expected it to be.
From the concert that night despite things I had heard, there was nothing to point to his faith from the songs chosen to the atmosphere. It was interesting to hear a Christian sing some of the lyrics he did. I was a little taken aback by his conduct on stage and the message of some of the songs.
The night made me realize how grateful I am for musicians and singers who choose to use their talents to glorify God, singing Christian music. I don't think there is anything wrong with Christians choosing to sing secular music. However, I think singers like any profession should choose to use their talents for God and strive to be a light. That can mean not singing songs with certain lyrics or that promote worldly lifestyles or living differently on stage where fans know you have a higher standard.
I'm sure several gospel artists could just as easily choose to have a career singing secular music, but I'm thankful that's not the path they chose. Thank you for choosing to go down the path less traveled for the glory of God. Thank you for choosing night after night to leave your families to sing music, sharing the gospel and drawing people closer to Jesus.
As I walked away from the concert disappointed in the night, it made me really think about the standard for all Christians. We're called to be in the world but not of the world. While I don't work in a Christian job or for a Christian company, I need to make sure I hold myself to a higher standard in how I conduct myself, the conversations I have at work and how I perform my job. As someone who works in advertising, there are clients that I wouldn't feel comfortable working with because of what they represent. The standard doesn't just apply to singers. As Christians, we need to make sure we're being salt and light. At the end of the day, all Christians should work for the Lord and not man.
I remember when a secular singer would give up a secular career when they got saved to sing or preach the gospel. I am sure there will be some that would disagree. But I think this doctrine should be held today. I blame it on the preachers for not instructing the singers as they should. There have been a lot of Gospel singers that have admitted they were only singing the words and did not have the Born Again experience they sang.. My Dad was a Preacher and a was a house painter in his secular career. There was an occasion he was approached about painting a building that was used for a distributor of Alcoholic Beverages. My Dad had no second thoughts about saying no to painting the building and it was a large Building. But in his later years after he got where he could not paint, He was a bagboy for Krogers in Nashville. When my dad applied for the job, he told the personnel manager that he would not bag any alcoholic beverages or tobacco products and they hired him still. And he worked at least fives years under them conditions. He had a new manager that laid him off, because he would not, but customers and employees heard about it and the manger gave in. He didn't make an issue about it. If he saw those items in a buggy he would just calmly walk away and one of the other employees would step in. How many of us would do that today? People will respect your stand.
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