By Tava Derr · Social Media Manager
Are you listening? Are you really listening? Sure, you can quote the lyrics of Taylor Swift or Travis Scott’s latest hit song without a hitch, but about what are they singing? Are you paying attention? And if you are, in fact, paying attention, what is the meaning behind the music?
Is what you are listening to glorifying God, or putting you in a mindset of worldly thinking?
In the Bible, we often see music being a good thing. It is a way to praise and worship God. Psalms, an entire book of the Bible, consists of hymns, songs and poems written to be sung to music.
However, we must be cautious when listening to modern music because we live in a fallen world.
Not all secular music is bad. In fact, I believe it has some value. Self-expression through music is a good thing, and people should be allowed to express their emotions through song.
However, music tends to stick in our heads, and if we are unconsciously feeding worldly things into our minds instead of spiritually edifying things, our spiritual health may suffer negative consequences.
I often fall into the alluring trap of secular music. Some music is just so catchy and sounds so cool that it is hard to resist listening to it. But we must be cautious.
Many times, I have felt convicted about listening to a particular song because of its themes of sex outside of marriage, getting drunk or high or promoting other ungodly behavior. I confess that listening to this music can lead me to believe that these sins are not so bad, and it can tempt me to desire things that God does not want for my life.
If this music is leading me to desire something sinful and worldly instead of something good and godly, should I be listening to it? I think the answer is no. The Bible says in 1 John 2:15, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
This verse is convicting. We must constantly ask ourselves whether we are valuing earthly things more than God.
Another verse, Philippians 4:8, says “…whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
God wants us to fix our minds on what is good, not what is evil. We need to fill our minds with things that lead us closer to God, not further from Him. Music is a gift from God, so we should listen to songs that bring forth joy and praise for Him, rather than music that leads us into temptation.
As Christians, we need to be more careful about listening to the music we choose. If a song is leading me to think about or even partake in things God does not want for my life, I should not be listening to it. I encourage you today, as you turn on your playlist, to truly listen and notice whether what you are listening to is glorifying sin or glorifying God.
