Music is the language of the soul, or so it is said. It is a powerful force, one that can move us and change us. And often, without us even knowing. And music is everywhere. Kids love it. Teens love it. Adults love it. It is universal. Different styles yes, but as a thing, we're all into it. Sounds like the perfect tool for discipleship moments. Here are some ways you could integrate it into your family discipleship:
1) What is this song about?
Every song has a message. Whether it's The Wiggles, Lady Gaga, Colin Buchanan or Bon Jovi, they are all singing about something. So if you hear some music while at home, in the car, at the shops or wherever, start asking your kids this question: What is this song about? Chances are they will struggle to answer, and that's fine. You can work it out together. But teaching them to ask this question will help them to focus on the lyrics, and as they get older they will be well placed to be discerning in music choice. There is some gross, unhelpful and worldview-shaping music out there! But there are some things that will mould them beautifully too.
2) Isn't God epic?
Music is great. It captures our emotions. It helps us to have fun, mourn, praise God, be silly, be happy, be... The list goes on. It's such a wonderful part of creation, something awesome that God has given us. So why not let your kids hear some exclamations from you about how great God is for giving us this sweet gift! He made the notes, the tones, the concept, our ears; everything! What a wonderful God!
3) Let your kids hear you sing
I think this is really important for most of us. Whether you are a good or bad singer, it really doesn't matter. Music is able to convey emotions in a way that simply speaking will always struggle to poke a stick at. And emotions are an incredibly important part of our lives. It will be so good for your kids' emotional health if they hear you expressing your emotions through song.
4) Let your kids hear you sing... about God
This point is very closely linked to the one above, but it is different. That's because we have emotions about lots of things, and yet we often forget to display emotions about and towards God. That could be because we don't feel anything, or it just feels weird to express our feelings. But what are we telling our kids if we sing after our footy team wins, or when our favourite TV show starts, or about love - but never about God? Could we be conveying to them that our treasure is more in this world than in heaven? Let's have a crack at getting the name of Jesus to come out of our mouths in song form from time to time.
5) Songs in the Bible
There are lots of songs in the Bible! All throughout. Psalms have a good number of them (around 150), and there are a bunch in Exodus, Luke, Revelation, Isaiah, Song of Songs and more (google it if you wanna find them all). Why not introduce your kids to some of those songs? You could even look up renditions of them on youtube.
Music is great, and it will shape your kids for better or worse. If you're looking for some good musical content, here is a place to start.
Check out other posts in the 100 here