What inspires you? Do you see a human interest story on the evening news that is inspiring? What about hearing a speech that was meant to motivate or inspire others. It seems that the older I get, the more difficult it is to be inspired about some things. I don't wash and wax the car as often as I once did and I am usually found at the car wash instead of dragging out the bucket and hose in the driveway. While I love college football but I may never again venture into an 80,000 seat stadium and fight for my 18" of bleacher seating, and then fight the traffic after the game. I prefer to stay home and watch it on cable. One thing that has always inspired me is music. I don't play an instrument or read music, and I don't sing well, but I have always had a love for music. I grew up listening to Ray Charles, The Everly Brothers, The Temptations, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones. In my 20's I listened to Gordon Lightfoot, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Janis Joplin, Elton John, and Lynard Skynard. In my 30's it was The Eagles among others. By the early 90's I was listening to Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Martina McBride, but the Eagles were still there as well. With all of that said, there has always been a thread of inspirational music in my life, even when I wasn't the most spiritual person around. I grew up listening to Tennessee Ernie Ford and I sang the Hymns in church. Today, inspirational music is what I listen to most. I love the hymns, Southern Gospel, and Contemporary Christian music. I find myself inspired by these songs.
The hymns are where most of us first learned that "Jesus Loves Me" and scripture is easier to memorize when it is set to music. The Bible tells us to hide God's Word in our heart in order that we may resist sin. Furthermore, God tells us that,"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God my be adequate, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16). Proverbs 22:6 tells us to "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." He may wander off into the ditch occasionally, like the prodigal son, but if a child is grounded in scripture He is more likely to return to those teachings as an adult than to continue into destruction and I am an example of this.
Now, I find inspiration in God's Word, and I find it truly inspiring when set to music.
Okay, I'm inspire now. How about you? Have a blessed day.
Our tastes do change don't they. I loved many you listened to back in your youth.
ReplyDeleteLove the two videos. My mother loved The Old Rugged Cross.
Have a blessed day. ☺