The sacredness of music

There's a trend,  or maybe you'd call it an idea, that seems to be gaining popularity today that bothers me. A lot. I've heard people say it, read it in books, and just read it in a book this past week,    Jesus > Religion by Jefferson Bethke.

 The idea comes in a couple of forms or different statements: There really isn't such a thing as Christian music, and all music can draw you to Christ and make you think of Him. I really hope those people are excluding Madonna, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga and the like from that statement. I am hoping and assuming that they mean clean lyrics, though the author mentioned above specifically mentioned rapper Lil Wayne, which doesn't seem appropriate for a Christian to listen to.

  This author, and many other people, feel they can listen to secular music and it is just as good for them as Christian, and many of them even knock the term Christian music and seem to have the idea that all music is equal. Well it isn't.

 I rarely listen to secular music. I have 7336 songs on my iPod and ITunes. Of those 7336 songs, 271 of them are secular songs. Country, actually. And I am picky about the country songs I listen to. Clean, positive, no drinking and running around songs. Maybe that's why I have so few..... there are so few that are worth listening to.......

  I was raised very strict. I heard preachers preach against country and rock music. I even heard preachers preach against my favorite music: Southern Gospel. One of my pastors, when I was around the age of 19-20, made the following statement in a sermon after my family attended a Cathedral Quartet concert that he seemed to know we went to: "I would not want to be at a Cathedral concert when the rapture happens." I thought the statement was ludicrous then, and even more so now.

 Christian and secular music are not the same, but Christians can listen to secular music, but I don't believe it should be their main music. I asked a simple question on Facebook once, and you'd have thought I had announced child molestation should be legalized (which I don't): I had noticed many Christians have tons of secular groups and bands listed as favorites, and some of them have none, or hardly any, Christian ones. Wow. I got slammed hard. Lots of righteous and non-righteous anger directed at little old me. I had just made the observation and wondered why.

  Here's what I don't get. And I am not being judgmental here. I honestly don't get it: If a person is serving God, loves God, is really serious about being a Christian........ then why wouldn't they want to listen to mostly Christian music? Why wouldn't they want to listen to music that truly glorifies God and puts the heart and mind more in tune with Jesus? If you're discouraged, why would you listen to secular music? If you're wanting your heart to draw closer to Jesus, why listen to secular music?

  There is a Christian author who I read some, but not a lot. He sometimes posts his "writing soundtrack" - a list of songs he listens to as he writes. And they are always secular. So here is a Christian guy who is writing a Christian novel, and he listens to secular music as he writes. Go figure.

 I have struggled a lot spiritually in my life, but there is one thing I could never get away from: Christian music. My music tastes have changed somewhat over the years. Some groups I used to like, I don't listen to as much anymore. I used to listen to 100% Southern Gospel, but have branched out and listen to some CCM and have been making an effort to listen to more Praise and Worship music than I used to...... as much as I like SG music, P&W music does something more for me. Well, depending on what it is like. Not all P&W music is equal.

 And not all Christian music is worth listening to. I was in charge of the music department when I worked at a Christian bookstore a few years back, and shocked the owners and my co-workers when I said if I had kids, I would rather they listen to secular music than some of the so-called Christian music we sold. And I still feel that way.

 Other than not getting why Christians don't want to listen to Christian music, here are the two main issues I have with listening to much secular music:

1) Content. Philippians 4:8 says "And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise."

  We Christians need to use this verse more than we do. It should affect what we read, what we view, what we listen to...... there is secular music that is clean and there is nothing wrong with it. But there is a lot that there is. If we listen to secular music, we need to be careful of what the lyrics are saying.

2) Singers lifestyle. This especially applies to kids and teens, but should apply to adults also. I believe we should be careful what kind of people we spend money and time on listening to and buying their music. Madonna may have a few songs worth listening to - I have no idea - but her lifestyle, the things she says and does, the mockery she has made of Christianity and God are reason enough that a Christian shouldn't listen to her music......... and she isn't alone. There are country singers whose lifestyles are nothing I would want to emulate, nothing I want a part of, and that is reason enough to stay away from their music.

 The radio station K-Love has issued what they call the 30-day Christian music challenge. They are challenging people to listen to only Christian music for 30 days and see what a difference it makes in their lives. Not difficult for me to do. With the exception of secular Christmas songs, I can't remember the last time I listened to a secular music song.

  I am definitely not knocking Christians for not listening to all Christian music, but if a Christian does listen to more secular than Christian, why? Why would we not want to listen to music that talks about what should be most important to us: Jesus. Why would we not want the most uplifting music to be what we listen to most often?

  Martin Luther said he gives to music the next place of importance after theology. And I think he is right. If he is, then why would we want to fill our hearts and minds with music that doesn't even mention Jesus? That doesn't glorify Him?

  Do you know what music they had in Bible times? Read the book of Psalms and you'll get an idea. There was no Eminem, no Lady Gaga, no Creed, no Jonas Brothers, no Brad Paisley...... there was just songs about God. And I believe we'd all be better off to listen to more songs about God, and not what the world offers.

  And in closing, again: I am not criticizing people for listening to secular music. I am asking why a Christian would want to listen to it more than Christian, and I am saying we should be careful what we listen to........ and we'd be better off listening to more Christian music.