15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
– Ephesians 5:15-21 (ESV)
As a songwriter, one of the things I wrestle with the most is validation. Is what I’m doing worth any of the time and investment? Do people care? Am I being a poor steward? Do I need to “grow up” and spend time looking for a “real job”? Am I even good enough to want to do this? Each of these questions screams a need for someone to affirm, or validate, the passion I have to make music. Of course, none of this comes into play if it’s done as a hobby every now and then for yourself, but when it becomes something more or when you want to share it with others, the self-doubt can become crippling. I have learned that as the Creator’s creation, we are imaging God in a unique way when we create. It is a profound and important thought, but if I’m honest, it somehow still doesn’t convince me to invest time (and sometimes, money) in songwriting. But the other day, I reread Ephesians 5:15-21 and was taken aback by something so clear yet so often overlooked.
Paul contrasts wise with foolish living and exhorts his readers to be filled with the Spirit. What does that look like? He lists 5 things: addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord, giving thanks, submitting to one another.
We are no doubt aware of the call to be thankful to God and submit to our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. But did you ever stop and think that writing that song (singing and making melody) and singing it to others (addressing one another) is a way that you are evidencing being filled with the Spirit? In other words, it’s not just a “nice thing to do,” it is a sign of obedience. We are called to do it. The reasoning? Because the days are evil (Eph 5:16). And if the days are evil, then it follows that songwriting to God must be good work. To further cement the case, Paul calls us to make “the best use of time” as a response to the evil days. What follows is him explaining how we do that. Hear you me: songwriting is not wasting time, it is redeeming time. There is spiritual significance in using, creating, and sharing music to sing to the Lord, just as there is spiritual significance in us choosing to submit to one another in reverence for Christ.
There is another aspect to this, though. While I don’t think that everyone has to be a songwriter in the sense that I am one, David calls all of us to sing a new song to the Lord in several psalms. And what is a song to the Lord if not our honest, heartfelt worship in response to God’s presence and work in our lives? In other words, we are all called to be songwriters as long as God is our Storyteller. I think that’s all the encouragement any Christian artist needs to not only create in the security of their private space, but also freely share in the public space. Because when others hear your music and are spurred to sing along or are reminded of another song to the Lord, you are helping them walk in obedience to God’s Word. Try that validation on for size.
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