Q: How can I bring my soul back to thirst for the Lord?
A: Here’s a few free flow ideas. When I was a college student, we talked about this. Anytime you’re in the church, it can become routine, the going, singing, praying, and you can lose sight of the importance and significance of what you’re doing. A girl in our group suggested this. She said that she made a pact for herself, that she wouldn’t read the bible for 30 days. She said she missed it and that the lack of it made her hunger for God’s word.
One of the reasons for this is that the distractions of this world feed us so much that we no longer hunger for the word. Monday mornings, during football season, instead of opening my bible, I found myself going to sportsillustrated.com, and looking up the latest stats from the games of Sunday, and the ones for the games that were coming on Monday night.
We need to realize that God does NOT leave us alone. If you find yourself wondering or not as excited, first of all, trust in God. Rely that God is coming for you, and won’t let you down. Secondly, we participate with God. We need to read, pray, fellowship and spend time in worship. For me, the Psalms, reading and praying them back to God. That feeds my soul.
You will deal with this your whole life. You don’t suddenly explode and become on fire for God forever.
Q: Are you saying that it is wrong to listen to secular music? Or just that we shouldn’t idolize the musicians and make that a priority?
A: No. Yes. It’s a weight thing. There is music that is good. There isn’t any good music that God doesn’t enjoy. There is a picture I like…it’s really a personal thing and not necessarily biblical…of Jesus “singing” the world into creation. Secular music in and of itself isn’t bad. There is good music. I know what I like. The Idolization of musicians and their lifestyles is a problem. God honoring music is the best music.
Q: Where do you draw the line on “being in the world and not of it.” without being ignorant of what the world truly is?
A: If you’re walking with Jesus, he’ll show you for everyone the line is a little different. Music can draw the line with some. Alcohol with others. Video Games with still others. I was the dorm drunk back in college before I came to Christ. There was a period of time where I had to force myself to stay away from parties, because if I went, I’d get drunk. But by the end of Senior year, I’d go to a bar with my friends, then I’d get a Coke, and I’d end up as a type of Designated driver for them, and I used that as a way to show God’s love.