Being careful of our songs as we suffer

I need to share something weighing heavy in my heart, out of great love and concern for my fellow sufferers. When we’re burdened by trials, we must be especially careful of our songs and ask God to help us choose them wisely, as prayers…because the nature of music itself causes lyrics to stick in our thoughts.

With all love as a retired music therapist, forever music teacher/church musician, and sister sufferer, let’s be so careful about lyrics! Who does the song put at the center, even as it claims to be worship of God? Is it myself? Do the sung prayers humbly come to our Lord, as Jesus always did?

May the mind of Christ, my Savior, 
live in me from day to day, 
by his love and power controlling 
all I do and say.

(“May the Mind of Christ my Savior,” Wilkinson, K. B., 1925)

Being careful about prayer, learning from Job’s suffering

When our suffering lingers (as with Job), our tempter can deceptively use song lyrics as “sung prayers.” Job’s friends filled him with our accuser’s lies about prayer. They told Job that he wasn’t praying right because God wasn’t coming through with a “yes” answer (22:27-28). They warned him that he must have unconfessed sin blocking the way to healing and prosperity (22:22-26). As time dragged on, these lies wore him into despair…maybe God wasn’t hearing him because God wasn’t fixing things (30:16-20). See where their focus was placed? Self. It all worsened Job’s focus on “self,” into hopelessness and fear.

Sound familiar?

The lies of the accuser haven’t changed at all. As Job’s story concludes, God warns that the friends “have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has” (42:7-8). We need to be so careful of what we sing-pray, heeding God’s warning in Job. Songs that don’t help us trust our immensely loving God with HIS perfect outcome can be our enemy’s deceptive tools. They often make us think we can manipulate God to reward us in the way we desire. Do they speak of God in a way that is right? Oh my. How I’ve suffered from this “lyric attack” on my thoughts, without even realizing it!

May the love of Jesus fill me 
as the waters fill the sea; 
Him exalting, self-abasing: 
this is victory!

Being careful about Whom we’re “singing to”

May I run the race before me,
strong and brave to face the foe,
looking only unto Jesus
as I onward go.

Let’s remember to Whom we’re praying and why we pray to Him, as those who are completely safe and forever accepted and beloved in Christ. Our honest prayers of pain and lament are prayers of deep intimacy and trust in our Abba Father of love, the sovereignly ruling, thrice holy, always good and trustworthy God of complete power who can do absolutely anything according to His nature and purpose. And our Lord always acts, but in His perfect time and manner! So, we’re talking to Him in our agony, as Jesus did. We’re telling Him about everything hard in our suffering, asking for His help, and humbly entrusting ourselves to Him, by His Spirit’s work in us. As Jesus did. He brings quieted peace, joy, and love to our suffering hearts, helping us to keep going in rested dependence on Him.

May his beauty rest upon me
as I seek the lost to win,
and may they forget the channel,
seeing only him.

Being careful of the lyrics

As we fight our tempter’s lies, one of the best antidotes I know of is to sing God’s Word. There are so many promises of what God will do for us, and singing them fuels our trust in Him (stay tuned – working on that prayer journal book)! No matter what our circumstances, we can sing of who He is and of our gospel hope in Christ, according to Scripture! We can sing His Word’s actual truths!

Our sure hope then becomes a victorious and authentic song of praise into our pain. Our God gives us so much Scripture we can sing to our hurting hearts.

May the Word of God dwell richly 
in my heart from hour to hour, 
so that all may see I triumph 
only through his power!

What are some examples in Scripture? 

We can sing Psalms as Jesus did:

We can sing as Moses did:

The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he (Deut. 32:4 ESV).

We can sing as Mary did:

For he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation (Lk. 1:49-50 ESV).

May the peace of God my Father 
rule my life in everything, 
that I may be calm to comfort 
sick and sorrowing.

Material adapted from Singing the Gospel to Job: Finding Hope in Suffering, Lauri A. Hogle, © 2022

Resources for Singing Christ’s Hope into Our Suffering

I’ve personally experienced how devastating it is to sing worship music that “so subtly” contains lyrics that are more prideful than humbled. The enemy uses them to discourage and stir up doubt of God’s goodness, kindness, and love, when suffering is lingering in the lives of faithful believers like Job. Satan wants nothing more, right? I’ve also discovered the Spirit-led peace, power, courage, and happiness that God gives us when we sing actual Scripture and its truths into our suffering moments, days, weeks, months, and years.

It’s so hard to discern, especially when we’re “sick and sorrowing.” So, this week’s playlist gift is filled with actual Scripture. I can’t wait to hear what our God of grace does for your heart as you sing through it, into your suffering! He’s sustaining me in difficult medical treatment and physical challenges, through singing Scripture—it’s incredible!

What an amazing promise from our faithful God of peace! He will do it! Praying that any of the resources below might be a nugget of His encouragement to your hurting heart.