Music. Wow! This is a tough subject, because it's such a huge part of our culture. Personally I absolutely love music especially if it has a good dance beat. This may be hard for you young people to believe, but I love rap. Yep! you read it right, a 56 year old white man that loves rap. Go figure. I have to admit sometimes I feel like an outcast because there aren't to many people my age who do.
However when it comes to music what I have a hard time with from a Christian standpoint are the lyrics. Let's start with rap considering it's probably the most contraversial form of music, and one of the most popular among teens.
What I hate about a lot of rap are the words. Talking about killing people, raping women, other types of violence, drugs, alcohol, sex, and the list goes on. No wonder their are more violent deaths associated with rap than any other form of music, and for what. We hear enough about these things every day on radio, TV, in our newspapers. I don't want to hear about it in the music I listen to. Why do you?
Rappers rap about your past, but how about ending the song with what you did to change your lives for the better, or has their lives even changed at all except for having more money to spend on more guns, more drugs, more alcohol, and more women.
What about good old rock and roll, is that any better than rap? I don't think so. What we get from it are the famous words, sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Why? Because that's what so much of it promotes. How positive is that. And country western isn't innocent either. So many country singers sing about losing there woman or man. People. If you treat your men and women right, maybe the'll stick around.
Speaking of women. How about many of the music videos. I'm telling you MTV and VH1, (CMT, you're getting close) should both be at the very least R rated. Any parent who allows their kids to watch either should have their heads examined. Talk about promoting women as nothing more than sex objects, who allow themselves to be in these videos because they have no self respect or self esteem. Then there's the reality shows on both channels. Don't we humans deal with enough drama in our own lives with out having to watch such junk on TV. Or do people who watch them do so so they can feel better about their own pathetic lives by watching someone elses pathetic life. Hey! If this is true you can pretty much bet this is why your life is so pathetic.
Well young people, I have some really good news. There is a ton of Christian music that is better than secular music, and the reason I say better is because it all gives a positive message that we all need to hear. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying all secular music is bad. However if I only listen to christain music I don't have to worry about a bunch of negative junk cluttering up my mind.
Now I know some of you will say, "I don't listen to the lyrics, I just like the music". You may not listen to the lyrics, but trust me you are hearing them. You may be able to tune them out consciously but you sub conscious is soaking everything up that it hears, and it does hear everything, lyrics and all.
Always remember this. Negative in, negative out. Even though there is no where to hide from all the junk we see and hear, it's what you do with it that matters. Being a Christian helps me to process it to minimize the negative affects. You've all heard it. Let it go through one ear and out the other. If I allow it to stay in my head and mull it over, it will surely affect me in a negative way. But if I expell it as soon as it enters I protect my mind and soul.
Now this doesn't make me a strong powerful man. Quite the opposite to be honest. I'm as weak as a baby. Believe me, not by my own power can I fight the evil we see and hear all around us every day, but by the power of Jesus Christ in me. The more I try to live according to God's will the the more empowered I am to make the right choices in life. And the more I make right choices the happier I become.
Believe me the devil is real and he and his army of fallen angels, (demons, also real) will use anything or anyone to try and trip us up, to win our souls. If you don't believe me, just take a good long look all around you. Music is one of his tools, just listen close to a lot of the lyrics. This is why there are many Christian musicians also empowered by Jesus making positive uplifting music for us to listen to which feed our minds and souls with good spiritual food instead pure evil junk. And it sounds just as good as secular music.
I challenge anyone who reads this to go to your favorite music web site and check it out for your self. You will be pleasantly surprised. A couple of my favorites artists are TobyMac and MercyMe.
Another favorite quote.
Without Jesus we are dead on the inside waiting for the outside to catch up.
