You Are What You Listen To

Music is constantly around us. It wakes us up in the morning, follows us into the local coffee shop, and lives in our earbuds. Music can greatly affect our mood; it can fuel us for a positive, productive day or bring us down and make us dwell deeply on our sorrows and hardships. Music is part of God’s incredible creation. As children of God, we must be mindful of the music we listen to because not all of it is acceptable in God’s eyes. In this article, let’s explore how we can learn to discern the kind of music that is acceptable to God. 

The Bible is full of music. It references music, singing and instruments more than 221 times. Most of the music in the Bible was used to praise God. Many of David’s psalms were set to music, and the Israelites played music for God on many occasions. One such example was when David and Israel brought the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem. As they brought the Ark back, they articulated their rejoicing and praise toward God by playing music for Him: “Then David and all Israel played music before God with all their might, with singing, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on cymbals, and with trumpets” (1 Chronicles 13:8). Music is a powerful way to express emotions and to exalt God. Because of the power contained in music, however, it can also be harnessed and used for ungodly behavior, showing disregard for God and His laws.

It is imperative that our listening habits reflect God’s standards for us as His children. This means the lyrics we choose to hear and the lyrics we sing should reflect the Christian values we’re developing. Have you ever dismissed a sketchy lyric because it’s “just music” and “not the way I would normally speak?” I have. But it’s important to realize that just because something inappropriate or questionable is set to music, that does not make it acceptable. We have to examine what we listen to because we’re held to the same godly standards in music. Remember, “. . . whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). Let’s think about some ways we can adjust our listening habits and strive to reflect godly attributes.

Listen closely

It’s easy to fall into the trap of listening to a song because it’s catchy or popular. You might not even understand the lyrics, but God does. The first step toward adjusting your listening habits is to truly start listening. Look up the lyrics. As you listen closely to the lyrics, consider whether the subject matter or the words would please or disappoint God. If you wouldn’t be comfortable saying those things to your parents or friends, ask yourself why you’re listening to them. I’ve recently started purging a lot of songs from my playlists. It’s not easy work. There will be some songs you hesitate to give up because the beat is catchy, or you’ve grown up with it. However, as Christians, we must be a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2), which involves giving up things that don’t please God. Take the time to listen and be willing to remove some songs from your playlists.

Discern wisely

Once you’ve begun critically listening to lyrics, it’s important to discern what kinds of things you should avoid. Discerning between good and evil is an essential skill that Christians must develop. We develop discernment by practicing it. The writer of Hebrews speaks of Christians skilled in the word of righteousness, “. . . those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:14). Practicing discernment through music is beneficial not only because it makes us more aware of the things we listen to, but it also develops our discernment in other areas of our Christian life.

Music discernment will often be obvious. If it contains curse words, depicts the breaking of one (or several) of the Ten Commandments, or glorifies evil, your ears will perk up (hopefully) and tell you to inspect the song more carefully. I recommend focusing on these obvious characteristics first. It will come in handy as you develop discernment. Ask yourself which songs are out of character for you as a Christian. Would your school friends or coworkers be surprised that you listen to these songs? Only you can decide where to draw the line in your playlists. As you make decisions and set boundaries for yourself, you can shift your attention to the less obvious characteristics of music.

Sometimes it’s not the details of the lyrics themselves that demand attention, but rather the themes and behaviors they encourage. This step in discernment requires a bigger-picture focus and a commitment to studying your listening habits. These not-so-obvious songs might include innuendos, a play on words and turns of phrases that subtly point to inappropriate themes. They commonly use ungodly human emotions such as revenge, lust and negative emotions to deal with difficult situations like a breakup or a cheating partner. Many songs challenge God’s intent for human relationships. If we’re not careful, these songs can influence our experiences, and we may begin relying on songs to deal with our emotions. If the songs aren’t promoting godly behavior and love toward others, it is a dangerous road to go down. It’s worth asking yourself if any of the songs in your playlist are encouraging you to think or do things that aren’t in line with God’s way of life. 

I’m often a counselor at United Youth Camps. If we’ve been to the same camp, you have probably heard my dorm pass by you as I always have music playing through my speaker. I carefully filter and inspect my playlist (called “Zone-Approved Songs”) every time the camp season comes around. You might be surprised by how closely I think about the songs I play for my campers. I focus on both the obvious and the not-so-obvious aspects of the music. Of course, I don’t add any songs with curse words or that take God’s name in vain. I don’t even replace them with clean versions because I know how skilled our brains are at filling in the blanks. 

I also set other boundaries for the playlist that are more concerned with the overall themes in the songs. The boundaries are based on the seven elements of the zone. I do my best to add songs that promote positive relationships and a fun environment. Songs about breaking up, obsessing over someone, or negative emotions are not welcome on the playlist. 

This is just one example of a specific playlist with a purpose. You may not be as strict as I am with your playlists. What is important is that you have your own boundaries and intentions when you create playlists. It’s easy enough to delete a few songs, but unless you create rules for yourself, you’ll begin making exceptions for other songs that don’t reflect godly characteristics.

Remember the Sabbath

When the Sabbath starts, what kind of behavior do you change to observe the Sabbath? Hopefully, the TV goes off, and you limit social media usage on the Sabbath. Do your listening habits change? If you haven’t considered the music you listen to on the Sabbath, now is a good time to start. The Sabbath is a time to avoid doing our own pleasure and even speaking our own words (Isaiah 58:13). Therefore, the use of music should be another aspect in our behavior that changes on the Sabbath. Consider what kinds of music would help you focus on God and observe the Sabbath as a day of rest. Only you can make that distinction for yourself. I listen to music that doesn’t remind me of worldly things but instead encourages my mind to meditate on God and His way of life. Classical or wordless music are good examples of meditative music. Chopin is an artist I particularly enjoy. Find a genre that inspires you and helps center your mind on God.

Christian music is another genre I enjoy, but not without carefully examining the content of the songs. It’s important to note that not all Christian music is biblically based and sometimes takes creative liberties that don’t reflect God’s Word. Christ’s disciples are held to a higher standard, which is why it’s essential that we carefully discern the kind of Christian music we listen to, always asking ourselves if the song is supported by Scripture. For example, if the artist sings about the Holy Spirit, how do they refer to it? Do they speak of it as a third being of a Trinity, a doctrine we know to be false, or as the essence of God by which He gives us the power to overcome sin? Whatever the artist sings about, you should be able to back it up with Scripture. Use every song as an opportunity to exercise discernment.

Conclusion

Because music is a prevalent part of our lives, we often overlook the lyrics we listen to or justify them because the actions in the songs seem to exist in a different realm from our Christian life. However, sin is still sin, even if it’s set to music. It’s our job, as Christians, to carefully discern all aspects of our lives to ensure our choices reflect God’s way of life. We do this by listening intently to lyrics and setting boundaries based on God’s laws. We should also consider our listening habits on the Sabbath and make sure the Christian songs we listen to are biblically based. If you want to learn more about music through a Christian framework, I encourage you to listen to the sermon that inspired me to write this article entitled “God’s Gift of Music” or read the study paper the Church has prepared on music in the Bible. 

You are what you listen to. Make sure it’s pleasing to God.