Sacred Music – Our Christian Heritage

Reclaiming Sacred Music for the Glory of God

When I became a mother, I could already relate to what my mom used to say, “One day you’ll be a mother and then you’ll understand”. Back then I thought I was right in my own eyes. I was the master of my own destiny! From time to time, I would apply the traditional “New Year’s resolution” before 1st January, only to discover by year end that half of it was unfulfilled. New years come and go. Come to think of it, what if I had kept them all? What would I be now? Maybe and always Maybe?

I now understand that whatever my parents failed to provide for us; whatever their shortcomings were, it is now my turn on the wheel to look after my children’s future. That’s history. Bitterness in the past would only prevent me from taking my responsibility of allowing my children to partake in where I now stand with the Lord.

Many times, we hear that the world is changing; even our political leaders. The current French President is someone who is always on the move. He believes that the only way to do it is to be there, at any given time. If you follow the news, you’ll see him everywhere. In any big or small event, he’s there. In my work, our VP instructed us that whoever will not take their stand now, will find their face flat on the floor. By then, it would be too late!

Looking from a Christian perspective, is that not what God wants us to do? That is, to be pro-active, i.e. taking always the initiative and the challenge whenever possible. I mean, seizing the opportunity at present for God’s kingdom. Procrastination should be a taboo and therefore should not be in our vocabulary. Whatever we can do for God and for our children should be done now.

Children are special to the Lord. They are exposed to worldly things and as such, they can be easily influenced. If we let our guards down and ignore what’s going on around, then we could lose everything. God wants us to be role models that children can look up and talk to.

One of the secrets is to be in the Ministry. Being in the ministry is life changing. Doing something for God and His church fills the gap that was missing in my younger life. The feeling is unexplainable. I know that what I’m doing now, will have impact on my children. Serving Him every Sunday will be normal to them. If I don’t, they have a negative reaction, and explanation is necessary. Everything that I learn from serving God is something precious which I can give to them as a heritage.

For all mothers, my encouragement to you is to seek the Lord.  It’s not easy when we live in a foreign country. We tend to adopt their system. But there’s more than money and other possessions that we can give to our children. There is a greater vocation which God has entrusted to us, and that is to be His instruments in forming future generation.

What should we do now? My husband and I unceasingly tell our children that their talents are God-given and must be used only for His glory. We try to inject to them, that they can do anything and excel if they so believe in their hearts. Christians must not be always “average” people but those who can be on the top. Do we doubt this? Why should we be afraid to encourage them? If our children are a gift from God, then this makes perfect sense. It is not the wrapper that is invaluable but their talents are. We only need to tap them and lead them to where God wants them to be. Life is challenging since we all know that we will be accountable before Him at the end of our earthly journey. One book I’ve read recently says that each generation is a stream and a part of a flowing river. It will continue to flow. Hence, we are sure that whatever we do now to our children, they will do likewise to their own children and to their children’s children.

May we take our present role with serenity, knowing that if we have a heart for God, He will always open the windows of heaven blessing. Those blessings will be the means to prepare our children for the future that lies ahead. The ride is mighty bumpy but I’m sure He already has provided a sports car with leather upholstery, steer wheeled and ABS bags to make our trip smooth. Also, we have the Holy Spirit as our GPS. We only need to drive and make sure that our children are comfortable with seat belts fastened.