Tune My Heart: Looking at the Influence of Music: Part 2

So, if it is our goal as Christians to bring about cultural change and re-establish godly morals, how does it do any good for us to flirt with the world's offspring? I'm not just thinking about music.  Movies, dress, speech, books, how you spend your time; it all goes.  

I've observed that what seems to drive us to listen to inappropriate messages in music is peer pressure. 

"Because music comes from a fallen race, it can convey fallen feelings and concepts, and sin." Jeff Pollard

Yeah it's hard being a Christian. It's easy to let ourselves think that small compromises aren't harmful. That we can listen to songs about immoral living without becoming part of it. Because we are good kids who were raised the right way. 

But familiarity desensitizes. 

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2

 Think of what entertainment in general does to you. It's a distraction. You momentarily forget about everything. What if our love for worldly music is Satan's way of diverting our gaze from the mission in front of us? Do you think Satan exploits our love of music and entertainment? I certainly do.

                               "Friendship with the world is enmity with God." James 4:4

Do you think our entertainment-crazed world can be capable of distracting us from the dominion mandate? Distraction is, perhaps, more deadly to our pursuit of holiness than anything. It pulls us away from a fervent seeking after God, but not enough that we feel we're in danger. Distraction breeds mediocrity--the worst brand of Christianity.

"Music does not control us. Or make us do things against our will. The emotion of music can stir us to heights, or to filthy passions. Music is not an evil force, it is your heart that is evil." Jeff Pollard

The ultimate question we should be asking is "What kind of musical experience should I be having while considering God's precepts?" Jeff Pollard

Tune My Heart: Looking at the Influence of Music: Part 1

How should Christians handle the subject of music? As a young adult, I've been challenged to think about how music affects us, and by what standard we should measure our choices.

 "What is our authority regarding music? Is it our preference, or God's word? Music must reflect His beauty and not our lower passions." Jeff Pollard

It's long been understood, by extensive research, that music has profound influences on the brain and emotions. Also, music perpetuates a worldview. With that understanding, I think it's critical that we be wary of the influences we allow over us. 

"Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus." 2 Timothy 1:13

Think of your favorite song. You've listened to it over and over, memorized each note. It's stuck there forever. So too are lyrics, and its message, whether it be good or bad. 

Do we really ponder the meaning behind lyrics? Looking them up and studying them? 


"But why should I?" Somehow seeing the words makes their meaning hit home more, forcing you to confront the message more literally.

A snippet from the pop song 'Call Me Maybe:

Your stare was holdin',
Ripped jeans, skin was showin'
Hot night, wind was blowin'
Where you think you're going, baby?


The gist of the song is a girl looking for love and a kiss in all the wrong places. Yet another cliched example of "love at first sight." 

Another popular song:

One Direction 'Live While we're young:

Let's go crazy, crazy, crazy till we see the sun
I know we only met but let's pretend it's love
And never, never, never stop for anyone
Tonight let's get some
And live while we're young

One Direction: Kiss me: 
Tou-ch
You get this kinda, ru-u-ush
Baby say yeah, yeah, yeah, 
If you don't wanna, take it slow
And you just wanna, take me home
Baby say yeah, And let me kiss you

Oh baby, baby don't you know you got what I need
Looking so good from your head to your feet
Come a come over here

These three songs promote immoral intimacy. These guys aren't interested in love, just satisfying their hormones.

Do we ever stop to consider what it is we love so much about these people and what they sing? 

"For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete." 2 Corinthians 10:3-6

 I believe that allowing ourselves to be a part of the world's music is a direct way for us to inwardly live in the world, we're just not outwardly acknowledging it. 

*Disclaimer* I am not meaning to condemn all music nor judging anyone. We will look at discernment in part 2.

A Letter to My Generation: Please Grow Up

We are what our parents call "the future." We are young, vibrant, strong, courageous and full of hope. We have been raised with the vision of building the Kingdom, challenging the culture, and standing on the shoulders of our parents--a new generation poised to engulf the pagan culture.

That is, if we would grow up.

There is a trend among us right now of sitting on the fence.

We want to be adults, but we like being teenagers, too. We want adult privileges, but without adult responsibilities.

Choosing to Walk with the Wise 
There is a particular group of young men I have witnessed multiple times do something that's very interesting and encouraging to me. Instead of sitting with their peers at social events, they gather around their elders and listen intently, even sometimes asking questions. My respect for these young men has increased because of their wise character in choosing wisdom. 

This is the sort of character we should be striving for! Sitting at the feet of those who have walked before us in everything.

"We need to change our idea of the “teen years.” We are raising children into adults. Those in between years are the most potent for developing skills, learning, training, preparing and practicing for adult life. These are not years to be frittered away. These are the years where we challenge them and they rise to the challenge of womanhood and manhood, the years of their best strength and courage, where vision is best cast. Youth is where character is grown and practiced,  responsibility takes root, and self-control must reign." 'Why We Should Encourage our Kids to Marry Younger

That's not to say hanging out with peers is wrong, because it's not necessarily wrong! But we can easily slip into foolishness if we don't receive and heed wise counsel -because we are all foolish in our youth. Proverbs repeatedly reminds us of this.

 "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm." Proverbs 13:20

Do Hard Things
You've heard it before: "Life's tough; get a helmet!" We weren't called to a life of luxury. We don't have to have giant houses, name-brand clothes, every gadget available, constant parties, etc. This is what the culture defines as a successful life-but God calls us all to a season of life, and uses us in each of them. If Paul could rejoice in a rotting prison cell amid beatings and still be assured God was using him, by golly we can find contentment in doing the hard things in life! We have no idea what "hard" truly is.

 God gives us many joys (feasting,  marriage, and fellowship, to name a few.) We were created to do hard things. We have a duty to our Creator. It involves glorifying Him, and enjoying Him forever. How are we to glorify him? Read God's letter to us each day, and He will show you.

"And aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands..." 1 Thessalonians 4:11

"And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul." Deuteronomy 10:12

The Battle of the Mind

"Guard your heart with all diligence....for out of it spring the issues of life." Proverbs 4:23

Our mind is possibly one of the most supernatural and phenomenal things God has created. To this day, we still can't comprehend our own minds. God is that incredible. But because we are not always aware of how powerful our minds are, we are also not aware of the damage we can unconsciously do to ourselves.

"Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us." Titus 2:6-8

The biggest mind battle we face as young adults, is that of resisting the pull of the 'average' teen life. Culture encourages us to stay young as long as possible, God's Word directs us to grow in maturity and wisdom (Proverbs 2:6). Culture says we should 'do something big' with our lives; Scripture says we are not live for our own glory (1 Cor. 15:58).

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age..."Titus 2 :11-12

Amid my doubts and fickle emotions, the constant temptations I face, and the downs my family and I have gone through, I have witnessed one thing to be true...God's kingdom is worth fighting for. And when I give up everything to God, even if I'm not sure what the future holds, if I admit that my heart cannot decide for itself what God's plans are, then He is faithful to lead and to give me peace.

"Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy." 1 Peter 1:13-16

By faith...we shall soon see the hand of God in the culture.