Originally published on 2/5/14 on Blogger
Recently I listened to Tupac. His music typified the frustration, even the yearning for a good life, a God life that many people wanted at that time. His music reminds me of how many of us feel today, frustrated and wanting to have a life free of worry, fear, dying, and loneliness.
So many of us search for belonging in things, in people, in sex, but in the end all of these fail, unlike God when you come to know Him intimately, which is better than any lover or any love of anything. The solace we find in the possession of things and such is lacking. It provides a semblance of comfort but only for a limited time. In our world today, many of us turn to sex or even alcohol to relax, to feel at ease, or to attempt to feel wanted or needed. Sadly, this too is fleeting and lacks the reality of love and completeness that one finds in God.
Now if you come to meditate on the Word of God, spend time in prayer, and learn to depend on Him intimately you find that you can trust Him, depend on Him, and confide in Him. The songs that were sung by Tupac and Biggie displayed displeasure with life, with society at large, but a camaraderie with other young black men who needed love and guidance. So many of my peers looked to these songs to find an identity and confidence, but in fact we should have been searching for godly men to lead us.
Yes, there are those in the church who are not properly living out God’s Word or love in their life. However, those young men who yearn for The Father or “A” father need to be mentored/discipled by godly men who aspire to do God’s will. In this way young men learn how to walk the walk and talk the talk on the street. They learn how to live properly, love truly, and how to be a complete man. Part of this has to do with living in the world, but the greatest sense of peace and greatest power comes from God.
Just think, had this sense of anger and lack of peace been filled with God so many songs would be full of hope, and so many young people would get positive, godly reinforcement. Today, there are many rappers like Lecrae or This'l, or even The W.A.R.R.I.O.R.S. that exemplify God but we need to remember to focus on Him, to show others who He is, to be consistently grounded in Him. We need to pray for our entertainers, support those rappers who properly exert the Father's influence, and praise God that His hand is on the entertainers who our children listen to, the very people they aspire to be.
We need not abandon the lives of our children and the welfare of society to the entertainment industry. Let celebrate the power of the Word and decree that is washes over people like Tupac. That they have God's peace, joy, and indeed His Spirit. We should respect and value the honesty and emotion conveyed by artists like Tupac or whomever but we should also keep in mind that music focused on self gratification, anger, or even loneliness is no replace for having the heart of God manifested in our lives.
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