CALLINGS FROM GOD

So in the Bible, which we try to follow and live our lives by, it talks about how the body is made up of many parts. It mentions how the hand or foot cannot say to each other “I don’t need you!” because all parts are working together for the greater good of the whole body. It says in 1 Corinthians 12:25-26 “…there should be no division in the body…its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” It goes on to say in verse 29, “Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?”

So we see that not everyone is gifted the same way, and God has not called everyone to the same thing. I want to give a couple of examples of what I mean.

1. My Pastor. He has a calling in his life to teach and encourage those in the church. He does this for a living, so you could say the “job” he’s been called to do by God is to live for Jesus and to help those in the church grow. Does that mean he can’t teach a non-Christian effectively? No. But his “job” is mainly teaching the church, though that is not everyone’s calling.
2. Missionaries. Some people are called by God to go out into the world, often to an unfamiliar place, and share the gospel with lost people. So the “job” they have been called to is to reach the lost with the gospel. Does that mean they can’t encourage those who are already Christians? No. But their main calling is going out and preaching to the lost, bringing them into a relationship with Jesus. But not everyone is called to be a missionary for their profession either.
3. Some people have a calling in their lives to work a normal job, at an office or a store or a restaurant or whatever, with whoever happens to work there, Christian or not. And their “job” is to be involved in their co-workers lives, to share their stories about work, life, relationships, and whatever, while being an example of Christ to those people around them. Does this mean they’re not doing enough for Jesus, because their profession isn’t something “Christian”? No. It just means God has called them to live life in that way.
   

Now do all three of these “jobs” require living for Jesus? Yes. Do all three require loving and encouraging those around you, whether they are a Christian or they are not? Yes. Do all three require being involved in the lives of those around you and sharing your faith with them? Yes. But all three are done in different ways, through different professions.

I’d like to relate these three “jobs” to Christian artists, because I think it is absolutely necessary with where music is going in today’s culture. So here are the three kinds of Christian bands (in my opinion).

1. 
   Bands that are called to play music for and encourage the church. The example that comes to mind is Stellar Kart. They will straight up tell you they’re basically singing to youth group kids. Their songs encourage those in the church to live lives that honor God. Does that mean a non-Christian can’t listen to their song and be affected by it? No. It just means their main “job”, or their calling by God, is to encourage those in the church to live for Christ.
2. Bands that are called to play music for the lost. The band that comes to mind is Seventh Day Slumber. Joseph Rojas has an amazing testimony about drug addiction and lots of stuff that goes along with that, and he shares his story at most concerts and they offer everyone a chance to come up and give their life to Christ. Their “job” or their calling is to reach the lost through their music and their concerts. Does this mean a Christian can’t be affected by their music? No, it just means lost and hurting people are the ones God has called them to sing to.
3. Bands that are called to just play music, to whoever wants to listen to it, and be an example of Christ to those people around them, Christian or not. The band that comes to mind is Family Force 5. A lot of their songs are about God, but they have some that are just fun, about dancing or being from the south or relationships or whatever. They are not ashamed of their faith, they’ll straight up tell you they love Jesus. Their “job” or the calling God has placed on their hearts is to be examples of Christ to the people they encounter working at the churches and venues they play at, as well as the people they talk to at their shows and when they’re traveling. They are called to reach people through their interactions, not necessarily just through their music.

Sometimes Christians sit back and judge these musicians and choose the standard of what is “Christian enough” for everyone else. The truth of the matter is, there is no such thing as “Christian enough”. We all mess up in life and need Jesus to forgive us. But if members of a band are living their lives for God and doing what He has called them to do, then the rest of us have no right to judge them or their faith.

Think about the things you talk to your friends about. Do you talk about doing fun things together? Do you play games or go to movies or go out to eat or swim? Do you talk about relationships you are in? None of these things are inherently “Christian”, so does that make them bad? No. If it is okay to talk about these things, why wouldn’t it be okay to sing about them? Should we not sing about the things that happen in our lives?

If every band were singing music to the church, then how would non-Christians ever relate? How would they ever be reached? Doctors aren’t here for the healthy, but for the sick. Jesus came for the lost. He loves them and desires that none of them should perish. A non-Christian might be turned off by a song that says “Jesus” over and over, but they might really like a song that has a fun beat if they don’t realize right away is about God. And just maybe that song will mean something else to them, they’ll go see the band, talk to the guys, see an example of Christ, and realize they want that in their lives. If you think that is wrong or bad that is okay, but how that band shares their faith is between them and God, it is not between them and any of us.

I want to encourage each of you, God gives us all personal convictions for our lives, but that does not mean that a conviction He gives to you is for everyone else. If anyone feels a conviction against listening to a certain band or song, that is okay, and you should follow what God is calling you to do. But if God has not placed that conviction on other people, I encourage you not to get mad or judge. God is bigger than any of us, He has a bigger plan than we can see or imagine, so let’s not cause division in His body over our own opinions of what God has called others to do.

Let’s just pray for those around us, that whatever He calls them to do, they will be faithful.

~Ashley~