Thinking Biblically about Music

Have you heard the little song that includes, "oh be careful little ears what you hear?" I'm sure that you if attended any Christian Bible school as a kid that you are familiar with it. Today I'd like to draw from this and highlight the importance of thinking biblically about what we listen to, especially in the area of music.

Those of you who know me know that music is a huge part of my life and has been since I was about 4 years old. I can't imagine my life without music, or without the ability to hear it. It is one of the most amazing gifts that God has blessed us with on this earth. Since I have such a love and passion for music it has been an area that I have had to watch very closely and receive input on.

Now, I'm not going to tell you what you should and shouldn't be listening to specifically. I don't have a list of "pastor-approved" songs or radio stations. I'm not going to tell you every song that is on my ipod, although I would suggest letting other's take a look at your music library to keep yourself accountable. My point is that we need to think biblically about what we are allowing ourselves to hear.

Think about this. What is the first thing you let yourself hear in the morning when you start your day? Do you just flip on the radio station or whatever CD is in your car as you drive to school or work? How often does what you listen to get stuck in your head? This happens to me all the time, and so often I find that if I have listened to a catchy song with unhelpful lyrics, I will sing it to myself the whole rest of the day, without even realizing what I'm saying. However, if I start with listening to a worship song or even a message, my mind is filled with truth about my Savior and I'm repeating that to myself instead. Now, I don't think I need to ask you which scenario is more helpful, and more glorifying to God.

I love music. I listen to all sorts of it. My music library is extremely diverse containing everything from Broadway musicals to R&B. But the Bible instructs us to glorify God in everything that we do...and this includes what we are listening to. It's our choice. What we listen to is not forced upon us...we make the decision for ourselves. So, what will you flood your mind with today? What will you be singing along to today? Songs about cheating, slander, gossip, sex, greed, etc? These are the types of songs that are being praised by our culture today, and trust me they will only get worse as time goes on. Why would you willingly set yourself up to listen to trash...literally it's garbage you guys. I'm guilty of doing this all the time, and when I'm left to myself I would much rather listen to Wicked than Danny's latest message from Sunday. But we have to guard our hearts. We have to ask for God's help. What we allow ourselves to listen to WILL be revealed through other areas in our life...in particular our speech and our actions.

Don't allow yourself to become numb to the garbage. See it for what it is. The next time you hear a song on the radio that is even slightly objectionable...turn it off. It takes some effort, it might even require you to "embarrass" yourself in front of your friends. You must decide if glorifying the Lord with what you listen to is that important to you. God intends for us to enjoy the world he has made and the gifts that he has given us. This includes music. God created it! He can be glorified through it and we can thoroughly enjoy it! But we must be careful about how close we come to the edge. Where are you drawing the line for yourself? Where is the gray area in your listening habits? If you can't identify it...ask someone else to do it for you!

We can't be legalistic about this. It has to be genuine. You have to care more about God's glory than the temporary pleasure you might get out of a "catchy tune". It's not worth it. No amount of music is worth defying God's commands. And he instructs us to keep ourselves pure and holy...undefiled before him.

Here's a challenge I want to propose to you all reading this. Try listening only to Christian music for a day. That's it...just a day! Turn on a worship song in the morning and listen to the whole thing. Sing along and pray through the lyrics of the song. Let it affect you. Throughout your day when you are able, play another one and do the same thing. I guarantee you will be constantly reminded of God's amazing promises and truth and that will change your attitude and your countenance. Are you up for the challenge? I would love to hear feedback from any of you that are doing this, or have done this.

If you love music as much as I do, we both need to see it as a gift from God. And we have the choice to honor him or not in what we are choosing to listen to. Indeed be careful little ears what you hear!

~Julie