Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, and sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. – Colossians 3:16
The verse above from Colossians 3:16 reminds me of… driving. More specifically – driving with the radio on, listening to Christian music stations.
I will admit – I used to roll my eyes when I would come across Christian radio in years past. The music seemed boring. The lyrics were too sappy. The songs also made me feel guilty and “not good enough” because although I considered myself a “Christian” – I didn’t know if God did.
Then one year, I was visiting a college buddy in Pennsylvania who worked at a Christian radio station, WJTL. He gave me a tour of the building and everyone who worked there was… normal. They were not pretentious or self-righteous. They were cracking jokes and lighthearted. They were simply happy people.
At the end of my visit, I said goodbye to my friend and his wife and began the drive to the airport. I was suddenly overcome with sadness. I had looked forward to that trip for so long, and now within 24 hours I would be back at a job that I dreaded and a personal life that needed a different direction.
I turned on the radio to a local station. I wanted to really listen to the lyrics of the first song I heard – to derive some sort of comfort from someone else’s perspective. But the popular song that was playing carried no significant meaning. The lyrics glorified selfishness, arrogance, etc. I felt even worse.
I then tuned in my buddy’s station. The song that was playing immediately hit me like a tidal wave. It was called “Trust In Me Now” by a band called Cadia. The lyrics spoke directly to all my concerns:
“Even though you feel alone, even though your strength is gone
As your weary heart just tries to hold on
Even if your faith is lost, even if it’s hard to trust
In a love that would let the rain fall down
Trust in me now
I can see what you can’t see
I will hold you close to me
Through the storm until you see the light”
I shed a few tears, then felt the calm of God’s presence and power.
I will always be grateful to God for that moment, grateful to the artists in the Christian music industry, and grateful to those station employees for changing my perspective on “being Christian.”
Need a reminder about how God is working in your life? Turn on Christian radio, and turn up the gratitude.
Ed Doney, Staff Writer
