Man Cannot Live By Bread Alone

Man Cannot Live By Bread Alone 
  By Dr. James R. Kok 

Even though I am a certified non-musician, I reign as
the number one consumer of music in the family. My
daily diet begins with early morning P.B.S. radio,
continues with the same or "golden oldies" in the car,
and then classical music again in my office. Music
nourishes my soul, soothes my spirit. 

Honestly, I know nothing about music. But decades of
sitting in church, listening to records, tapes, and
radio has saturated me with good stuff. At night as I
plop my head on the pillow, I always sing my last
thoughts: "Oh Jesus, joy of loving hearts, I turn
unfilled to Thee again." I don't know why it floats
into my consciousness, but it does. Just that much; no
more: A prayer, a sigh; and I'm asleep. 

Teaching our children

Filling the hearts and minds of our children with good
music works best when planned and intentional like
regular meals. Children should be bathed in music from
early infancy, maybe even prenatally. Mozart, Bach,
Schubert, Beethoven, Stravinsky, as well as Christian
hymns and Psalms, are as vital to health as orange
juice and oatmeal. 

Adult people, too, are mellowed, or charged up, by
music. Music may touch us most in that part of the
human anatomy now called the right brain. The left
brain deals with reasoning, order, and logical
thinking. Ordinary classroom teaching aims at the
skills of the left brain. The right brain has to do
with creativity, emotion, spontaneity, feelings. I
suppose joy and excitement spring from right brain
stimulation while left brain reasonableness responds in
its own way to the orderliness of rhythms and
harmonies. Music massages the whole person, bypassing
brain cells, tickling, electrifying, quieting, healing
deep inside where little else can reach.

Regular church attendance remains as one way young
people get fed music. Souls are being caressed there
with right brain melodies and left brain inspirations
and information simultaneously. But more is needed.
Homes should consciously create a musical ambiance by
thoughtful use of radio and recordings, beginning when
children are in very early infancy. Christian music
should be mixed well with the classics for sure. Jazz,
rock and other popular sounds, selectively, have a
place, too.

Someone has said, "God gave us music so we can pray
without words." That's part of it. Creatures of God
have a soul hunger only satisfied by music. When Jesus
said, "Man cannot live by bread alone," He was claiming
for us our essential spirituality, which must be fed.
Living without music is spiritual malnutrition. Good
music stimulates the mind, improves circulation, eases
pain, relaxes muscles, raises immunity, heals broken
hearts, quiets fears, and brings people together. 

Truly, music is one of God's most awesome gifts.

(c) 2014, Care and Kindness Ministries (Used by
permission). 
http://www.careandkindness.org/