We’ve all heard the adages…
“Artists need to have tough skin.”
“Telling the truth helps artists grow.”
“Christians need to be great because God is great.”
True enough statements… BUT just like when rightly dividing the Word of God, CONTEXT is CRUCIAL to proper application of any morsel of wisdom like the above statements. Unfortunately, when used erroneously these sentiments can be destructive & distract from our true calling as followers of Jesus.
One of the toughest pills to swallow as believers is that we can’t necessarily take everyone who professes to follow Jesus at face value. Scripture is replete with warnings about false prophets, unsound doctrine, wolves in sheep’s clothing, etc. Not only do we need to be alert for false Christians, but also for those who genuinely believe but have been carried away by false doctrines.
We live in an era and culture saturated with a self-centric ethos, likely as prominent as ever in human history, which conditions us to accept a warped perception of success; One wrapped up in excess, materialism, power, influence, sexual perversion & rampant hedonism.
Juxtapose that against professing Christians attempting to do anything that society typically views as a business and things get complicated.
Jesus said a man can’t serve two masters & yet it’s commonplace for folks to apply profit-driven practices to things they characterize as ministry. Churches. Outreach Organizations. Para-church organizations. Movies. Music…
Throw all those things together & you get a number of people who characterize themselves as Christians & what they do as ministry, but whose values & approach sometimes more closely resemble popular culture than anything prescribed by scripture.
This is rampant in CHH. There are popular artists, producers, executives, publications, etc. who look to the world for their definition of success & their roadmap for how to operate… & how to treat people.
These individuals tend to prioritize things like exposure, popularity, profit, fashion, recognition, accolades, elitism, & affirmation from the secular industry over genuine & meaningful interactions that resemble the Gospel & point people to Christ.
That’s not to say they don’t point people to Christ at all, or that God can’t & doesn’t use them. However, it’s in spite of their flaws.
You see, employing the previously mentioned adages through the lens of a materialistic worldview distorts them and excludes important aspects of Christ-like character… Gentleness, humility, sacrifice, selflessness, & generosity. It replaces those attributes with the aforementioned traits which then often become a license to act obtuse & ruthless toward fellow believers.
This is the school of thought that says if someone says something like, "Your music is trash and you should stop making it," and you find that rude and offensive, it is because of some character flaw on your own part, not because those comments are in fact rude and offensive and there are much better ways to encourage someone to improve... and to help them.
This is also the philosophy that often assumes that just because someone shows you their music, they are looking for your "constructive feedback." They might not be. They might just be eager to share something they worked hard on and are satisfied with. Assuming everyone is seeking your detailed feedback without overtly requesting it is kind of the psychological equivalent to a husband who attends his wife's family gathering and just has to seek out Aunt Suzy to let her know he actually didn't enjoy her pie because he prefers his mom's recipe. It might be true but is it useful, helpful, or edifying to any of his in-law's? (I'll let you answer that...)
As followers of Christ we’re called to be set apart. Scripture calls us a peculiar people. Our values, goals, & approach shouldn’t mirror the world. It should contrast with it.
So, should we endeavor to be as excellent as possible at our art? Sure.
Should we tell people the truth? Obviously…
Should we challenge & push each other to continuously improve? Yeah.
Does HOW we do that matter immensely? Absolutely!
We can do all those things without being demeaning, insulting, & discouraging. There are instances when it is appropriate to be direct… even harsh… but those are few & far between. Those situations almost ALWAYS revolve around sin & disobedience toward God, not subjective standards of quality applied to art.
We have people out here in CHH who literally pride themselves on being "ruthless for the sake of the genre." Yet, I rarely observe those same folks addressing bad theology in songs. Their feedback often devolves into jabs about style, relevance, trendiness, & marketability… & often takes on a mocking, ridiculing, skeptical, & dismissive demeanor.
We are called to be great because God is great… but… great at what? Largely inconsequential skills utilized exclusively in a world that will eventually pass away? OR submission & obedience to God which produces righteous character?
Scripture says the last will be first in the Kingdom of Heaven. It says God uses the foolish things of this world to confound the wise… & yet I see many talking heads in CHH seemingly suggesting God somehow needs us to exhibit expert skill to use us for His glory.
He doesn’t.
He doesn’t need us at all. He doesn’t need our skills. He can speak to someone through a jackass if He chooses to do so… even if that jackass works for your favorite CHH publication.
We should be cautious about taking art we create so seriously that we inadvertently (or flippantly) elevate it above obedience to God & character that reflects true relationship with Him. Doing so borders on idolatry. When we make music, we can’t be naive enough to assume the music alone is our ministry as if our relationships & interactions don’t matter every bit as much!
Ultimately, we can not rely on ourselves or on our own talent & skills to lead others to Christ. It’s only by the grace of God we can be saved or lead anyone to Christ. With that in perspective we should endeavor to prioritize exhibiting Godly character in our interactions & engaging in meaningful mentorship that builds up fellow believers over critiquing art.
Imagine if your favorite CHH artist wrote a song about that… & then modeled it in their everyday life. Only by the grace of God! 😎
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