SECULAR VS. CHRISTIAN MUSIC

As I scour the internet there is a lot of contention and confusion about what music is appropriate for our consumption as true bible believing Christians. Is secular music all bad? Is Christian music all good? I have to admit that unless you are extremely open minded you won’t actually care to even examine the topic, let alone come to the understanding of what God might consider to be appropriate.

It’s actually not much different than wanting to pursue the true knowledge of God as has been inspired to be written in the pages of your Holy Bible. Instead of praying and asking God for discernment, in seeking out and proving the Word of God, most Christians are satisfied with following the traditions of men (Colossians2:8).

Does a song have to have the words Jesus or God in every line of the song to be considered worthy of our consideration? I’m convinced that it doesn’t. I’ve included a link to a YouTube video that contains a couple of Glenn Campbell songs as an example. They are secular and yet are great examples of how good music can be. Not only are the melodies soothing and easy on the ears, but the lyrics of the songs convey how we should appreciate and respect our parents and how we should grow in our love for one another in marriage.

Both topics by the way are included in the Ten Commandments. Now I will interject that there is a major difference in what should be considered sacred music as part of the song service during a worship service, but that’s a topic for another post. What I want to convey today is that God has given us guidelines to show us how to live a way of life that He wants and expects us to live, including what we allow to enter our eyes and ears and eventually our hearts and minds. Philippians 4:8-9 is a good place to start.

8Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 9Those things,which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Most of the secular music available today is just plain bad! Sure the tunes are catchy and the lyrics clever, but the content is not something I want to entertain, even subconsciously. Some of you will say that the music is “amoral” or “indifferent” and although it’s a song about putting a bullet through someone’s head in a fit of rage, or getting drunk and not remembering how or why I ended up in a stranger’s bed, cheating on a spouse, getting revenge after somebody done somebody wrong, it’s just a song and has a great beat and/or tune. You know, it’s a real kicker of a tune. Then you state “after all, God knows my heart”.

Yep, been there and done that. Satan is very clever and as the “prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2), knows all too well the absolutely profound power of music and how it affects our psyche. Since being called into the Faith of God, I’ve tried hard to forget some things in my past, but you know sometimes I’ll hear a song, and instantly I’m transported back to a time or event and it’s as clear as the day the original event occurred. All of us have experienced this at one time or another and it proves that music is not “amoral” or “indifferent”.

Satan is the master promoter of our lustful, sinful nature and he is on the job 24/7. He knows our weaknesses and we are defenseless unless we choose to turn away from our bad habits and admit that we need God to forgive us of our sins and become new creatures. It’s not easy, far from it, but the reward as promised by our Creator and Redeemer is eternal life. Rock until you drop, or lean upon the Rock who is Christ Jesus.