Psalm 7:17b

“…and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.”
~ Psalm 7:17b



I think that a common sin in the life of an aspiring musician is the sin of pride.  Pride is, of course, a sin that everyone struggles greatly with, but musicians can sometimes be more prone to adapting a proud attitude because they’re aspiring to be the best in their field.  They want to perform the best, look the best, sound the best, and be the best.  Music is an extremely competitive field.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with striving for excellence, but if for one moment we take our focus off of the Lord, then we are in danger of robbing the rightful position of the Lord Almighty.  We are pushing God off of our heart’s throne and putting ourselves in that place of honor instead.  Pride is a sneaky sin and must be identified and taken care of immediately.

If the reason why we strive for excellence has anything to do with our own self glory, we are saying that we are “the most high.”  Thinking about it from that viewpoint literally almost made me gasp. Does that prospect shock you, too? Perhaps it should.

The position of “most high” is a 1-person position.  It cannot be shared.  I hope you realize that the only person worthy of that position is God.

If we play music for our own glory, we are sinning.  After all, God was the one who gave us the ability to make music in the first place.  Isn’t it only right that we should play for Him?  (And this goes for all of life, not just music!)

I don’t think that this verse implies that our music only praises the Lord when it is specifically “praise” music, hymns, etc., because “praise” is another way of saying “glorify.”  We can glorify the Lord even if we’re playing classical music, if our heart is in the right place!  (However, I personally would suggest making praise/sacred music your priority.)

            Check your heart.  Are you truly making music for the glory of the Lord, most high?  Or are you making music for the glory of yourself?


Also read: Psalm 7, Colossians 3:23
Music suggestion:  “Make my Life an Alleluia,” by Ruth Elaine Schram

Comments

  1. Yes, this is so true! As a musician, this is something that I have to check back with often. My goal needs to be to glorify God, not myself. It's so easy to get carried away.

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    1. Amen to that! Our goal must always be God's glory and not our own. Thank you for commenting, Grace! :)

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  2. It's easy to try to glorify yourself, but God deserves all of it. Thanks for sharing! :)

    https://tizziestidbits.wordpress.com/

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    1. You are right, the temptation of glorifying self is an easy one to fall into. But yes indeed, God deserves ALL of the glory. Thank you for commenting, Grace! It's nice to have you visit this little nook of mine. By the way, how did you find out about my blog? :)

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  3. Wonderful post, Grace! I love this, it's so true and relatable for any creative person really, I know I can relate as a musician and also with my writing :) Thank you so much for sharing! <3

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    1. You're welcome! Thank you for being so encouraging about my writing :) <3 You inspire me!

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  4. Olivia Bell (aka Livy)May 16, 2017 at 7:25 PM

    Bella's right, since I don't really play music, this implies to other things I do with my talents! I really enjoy your Scripture posts, Grace! :D

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    1. I'm so glad you enjoy these posts, Olivia! This post is part of a larger project in the works, which I'm excited about! So stay tuned! ;)
      And yes, you are completely right -- these principles can apply to any aspect of life, not just music!

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  5. Thanks for this reminder, Grace. It is a lot easier to become proud as a musician. I love these devotional posts!

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    1. Thank you, Joy! I'm glad these posts are a blessing to you.

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