Wielding the power of music for good or ill

What does a wise musician look like? Maybe you long to be a wise musician. Perhaps you wish that your church had more wise musicians. But what does that look like?

You might think, at this point, to look to Proverbs, God’s great one-stop warehouse of wisdom. But in its 31 chapters, spanning the full breadth of human experience, you will find very little. Just one verse: “Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar poured on a wound, is one who sings songs to a heavy heart” (Proverbs 25v20 NIV).

But what does this one verse teach us? First, God is reminding us that there is power in music, for good or for ill. Music is not neutral; it changes how we feel, whether we like it or not. The calling of Christian musicians to wield that power wisely is therefore a weighty one, lest they commit the psychological equivalent of stealing a garment on a cold day, or pouring vinegar on an open wound. Pray for all who serve in your church’s music ministry. We need it!