Two years ago, The Lord began a deep transformation in me. He began convicting me of many things, and one by one I gave them up to Him and allowed the Holy Spirit to do his sanctifying work in me. “Sanctify” means to set apart or declare as holy.
I’ve told you part of my story already—about how the Lord prompted me to fast alcohol, and during that time He took that fleshly desire to abuse it away from me. Because of the transformation done in my mind and in my heart during that time of fasting, I can now enjoy an occasional drink in a God-glorifying manner. He did this same kind of work in me regarding music.
In college, I started listening to some pretty raunchy music. The lyrics shined a favorable light on alcoholism, drugs, sex, fame, money, manipulation, pride, and sex appeal. After a while, I let the music I listened to begin to mold me into the woman it was portraying. I was becoming someone that I was never intended to be. I remember putting particular songs on repeat just to “get in the mood” to go out. The combination of alcohol and party music was the perfect recipe to numb my convictions, which steadily turned me into someone else. Years later, music would influence me in a completely different way.
I was sitting at church all by myself on a Sunday morning after having spent the night prior getting drunk at a bar. The service was over, and God had spoken clearly to me during the sermon about having better plans for me than I had for myself. He told me I was made for more than what I was living in. The worship team played Amazing Grace and for the first time in a long time, the lyrics moved me. I had heard that old song hundreds of times before, but never quite like this. I felt that God was telling me, “I see you. I forgive you. Now follow me.” Tears began to stream down my face, and for the first time I felt the full weight of my sin and of God’s glory. God used music to start a process of repentance and redemption in me that day that would change my life forever.
The Creator of All Things created music, and He prepared many different uses for it. In the Bible, we see music used for praise and worship (Psalm 150), to usher in God’s presence (2 Chron 5:13-14), for celebration (Gen 31:27), for spiritual warfare (1 Sam 16:23), and for evangelism & exhortation (Acts 16:25). So doesn’t it make sense that satan would use this powerful tool intended to bring us closer to God to lure us away from God?
The Bible tells us to “guard our hearts.” For some reason this charge is always the “go-to” verse for directing young women to be careful about who they date: i.e. “You should guard your heart…stay away from boys like that.” But there is so much more to guarding our heart than just staying away from someone who could break it.
Guarding our heart means being careful and selective about what is allowed to enter it. What we listen to, what we look at, what we entertain ourselves with–all of these things enter our heart and our mind and they become a part of who we are. To guard our heart we must be proactive. We must choose to give the Holy Spirit room to work in our lives by removing any distraction or obstacles that gets in the way (2 Cor. 10:5).Remember: what goes in, must come out. Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it (Proverbs 4:23). A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart. (Luke 6:45)
Let us pursue righteousness in Christ together. And Let us remember that God’s plan for us does not end at salvation!
“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Philippians 4:8
“Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore,if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable,[d] he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” 2 Timothy 2:20-22
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”-Psalm 51:10
May you be covered in His dust,
Hanna
