Switch It Up and Praise

Come, let us sing to the Lord!
    Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
 Let us come to him with thanksgiving.
    Let us sing psalms of praise to him.
 For the Lord is a great God,
    a great King above all gods.
 He holds in his hands the depths of the earth
    and the mightiest mountains.
 The sea belongs to him, for he made it.
    His hands formed the dry land, too.

 Come, let us worship and bow down.
    Let us kneel before the Lord our maker,
     for he is our God.
We are the people he watches over,
    the flock under his care.

If only you would listen to his voice today!

Psalm 95:1-7 NLT

I don’t know about you, but I have a playlist for just about all of my moods: happy, sad, mad, irritated, motivated, etc. … You name it and I probably have a playlist for it and I’m sure that I am not the only one.

Whatever mood we’re in, happy or otherwise, sometimes we need to know that someone else understands and there is usually a song to fit the bill. I’on’ know about y’all, but when I’m upset I want people to move, like Ludacris said, out of my way (Ludacris, Word of Mouf, 2001). When it’s payday, I feel like I can choose between a, “G-Wagon or de Bentley,” like Burna Boy (Outside, 2018). Fantasia knows how I feel when “the love I had inside has died” (Barrino, Free Yourself, 2004). I know that “today will be the best day of my life,” when I wake up on the right side of the bed (The Potter’s House Choir of Denver, 2015).

You might also have a top 25 for your many moods, but hear me out: when you’re not at your best, it doesn’t behoove you to dwell in it. That 5 to 10 minutes that you spend with Whitney, Ella Mai, Z-Ro, Deborah, Wayne, or whoever (the kids are listening to today) is not going to make you feel much better. It might make you feel worse, empathetic music lover here.

Instead of sitting in sadness, anxiety, or anger, let us present those emotions to God and do what Paul says in Philippians 4, think about something else. 

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.  Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4:8-9 NIV‭‭

I’m not saying that you should ignore your feelings because that’s unhealthy. What I’m saying is that you should encourage yourself by thinking about positive things that have happened or are currently going on in your life. For example, God is good and his mercy endures forever (Psalm 136). 

Listen to worship music. Declare that “today will be the best day of my life,” when you wake up on the wrong side of the bed (The Potter’s House Choir of Denver, 2015). 

When your week hasn’t been going well take a few minutes to acknowledge where you are in the moment and “choose to go against that.” Speak, claim, and expect “something different” while you do what you can to turn it around (Brown and group therAPY, 2econd Wind: Ready, 2019).

 

Challenge: Start your day off with 5 minutes of praise and worship in the morning for 5 days and check back here to let us know if and how it has changed your week.

References

Ludacris. “Move ____.” Word of Mouf. The Island Def Jam Music Group, 2001, track 10. Apple Music, music.apple.com/us/album/word-of-mouf/1440920531.

Boy, Burna. Ye. Outside, Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc., 2018, track 6. Apple Music, https://music.apple.com/us/album/ye/1337974012?i=1337974496.

Barrino, Fantasia. Free Yourself. Free Yourself, 19 Recordings Limited, 2004, track 2.  Apple Music, music.apple.com/us/album/free-yourself-feat-missy-elliott/275765355?i=275765402

The Potter’s House Denver Choir. “The Best Day of my Life.” 2015, track 1. Apple Music, music.apple.com/us/album/the-best-day-of-my-life/1070891649?i=1070891650.

Brown, Anthony, group therAPy. This Week (Live). 2econd Wind: Ready. Key of a Music / Tyscot Records / Fair Trade Services, 2019, track 12. Apple Music, music.apple.com/us/album/this-week-live/1479750644?i=1479750749.