What Are You Listening To?

First, I would like to begin by saying until the last year or so, I did not realize the importance of not listening to secular music. I was very much in love with Jesus, but did not understand my music habits had to change. As I got closer to Jesus over the years, my choice in music did gradually refine over time (VERY VERY VERY SLOWLY: I am embarrassed to even think about the trashy lyrics I used to listen to. The thought literally makes me shudder!) Still, though I began to listen to cleaner genre's of music.. It still just shifts your focus way too much. I am proud to be able to say that for 1 year and 3 months now, I have been listening to worship music ONLY (with the exception of one secular concert I attended last October- 1 year ago.. This artist was much cleaner than most and had no curse words in his lyrics.. but still.. secular music shifts your focus in the wrong direction). God also had to work with me this year on changing the shows I was "obsessed" with watching each week and what my "favorite movies" were. Let me explain further:


AS LONG AS YOU HOLD ONTO YOUR MUSIC (or movies, tv shows, or books) THAT GLORIFIES SINFUL THINGS: drinking, drugs, premarital sex, revenge, etc.. YOU ARE ROBBING YOURSELF CONSTANTLY of GOING INTO A DEEPER, MORE COMFORTING, ALL-CONSUMING RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.  You are holding yourself BACK from BEING FREE with every song, note, lyric, word (or movie scene) you pour into your heart that rips the seeds of Life (the Word of God) out of you. You are CONSTANTLY KEEPING GOD AT ARM'S LENGTH until you surrender every area  of your life, every part of yourself to HIM. You may be "pouring out" to God in prayer and then turning around and TURNING UP to the tunes of this world! You may have let "worldly things" become an "idol" that you turn to for comfort instead of giving it ALL to GOD.

"As he thinketh in his heart, so is he"

Proverbs 23:7 (KJV)

What you choose to listen to, watch, and read has a great impact on what you think about. Tell me how your music does not make you think that drinking alcohol, smoking, and partying is the only way to have a good time. That's exactly the devil's plan: to use whatever social media, music, shows, movies, and books to make you think "sinning" is the only way to have fun. Tell me your music does not make you think you are "nothing" if you are not in love and living out your "happily ever after". Tell me your music does not make you drown in your heartache day in and day out. OR here's the big one:

Tell me your music talks about Jesus and church...... But does it not also talk about a cold beer in the same exact song??????

Yeah... try to tell me that you feel the Presence of the Holy Spirit while you listen to that? Or while you watch [this show] or [that movie] or [read that book].

This leads people to think you can "live like the world" but still love the Lord. That is not at all what the Bible teaches. Satan is teaching such thinks to deceive. Satan is the father of lies, as Jesus tells us in the Bible.

Secular music, tv, books make you think of sin as fun and/or sulk in your problems... as opposed to the awesome reality of how fun it is to have the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and live in & for God... and as opposed to "delighting in God's Law" like King David... as opposed to letting God "heal your broken heart" like He wants to. Worship music turns your eyes away from your problems and onto our loving LORD and Savior: JESUS CHRIST.

The Bible tells us in Proverbs 23:7 that we think in our hearts, is who we really are. So, be careful with whatever you "plant" into your mind... that is what will "grow" the thoughts that will lead to the "harvest" of who you really, truly are. So, make whatever changes you need to make to plant godly thoughts in your heart :) I made the change. The question is: Will You?

In God's Infinite, All-Consuming Love,

Rachel Marie