Being fairly new to Christian music, I haven’t had the opportunity to see how it has evolved over the years. When I first became a Christian a little over two years ago, my mentor handed me a mix CD that she had personally created for me as well as a “Jesus Calling.” I knew nothing about reading the Bible, I didn’t even know Christian music had its own genre, or how the Psalms are actually songs.
The following Monday, I put that CD in my car before I headed to school and was able to listen to a few of the songs before I arrived. It was definitely different for me, I grew up listening to mostly obscene music and truthfully I was even a little surprised that I found myself liking the songs.
As I began to read my Bible with my mentors help and I started falling in love with “Tenth Avenue North,” the hole I had been feeling inside myself for several years started to fill up. I knew this was a step in the right direction for me, because not only was I so eager to learn more and more about God and to have an intimate relationship with him, but I began starting to pray to him without even realizing it.
When I moved away to college and could no longer have our Wednesday night Bible Study with my mentor, I stayed in touch and continued to expand my faith by attending church with her sister here in Spokane. By that point, I was mainly listening to Christian music and was able to sing along at church when the worship team would play a Hillsong United tune.
Fast forward to a few months later when I was at the lowest point in my life, I felt like all I had for certain was my Bible and Christian music. Christian music made me feel like it was OK to feel the way I felt, but also that I was going to be able to come out of it stronger, like it was a test from God.
I know for certain that I wouldn’t be the Christian I am today if Christian music didn’t exist.
Join SpokaneFAVS for a Coffee Talk forum on “Faith and Music” at 10 a.m., May at The Community Building, 35 W. Main Ave. Kinnaman is a panelist.
