Tuned In.

Using music to focus your
mind and thoughts on God.

Continuing my thoughts from “Garbage In, Garbage Out” I wanted to present something I have found incredibly amazing in keeping my Christian walk focused on God. Most of us have jobs (and I include you stay-at-home moms who have one of the most difficult jobs of all!) and/or go to school and have the many concerns of life on our minds. How many of us go to church on Sunday and crack open our Bibles during the week (you need to do this more often!) and subsequently allow what we have learned and contemplated escape our minds as we trudge through the week?

We are barraged every day, every hour, even every minute (forced to listen to garbage music at work?) with the traps and filth of this world (sex, greed, power, love of money, etc.). How do we fight this? Many ways exist (pray, read God’s Word, etc.), all of which we should do, but I’d like to present one method of which you may not have thought: listening to Christian music.

I discovered contemporary Christian music when I was stationed at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. I used to love to listen to adult hits music, but so much of it is filled with very bad messages. When I found Christian music has artists as good or better than the secular world, I was hooked.

I listen almost exclusively to contemporary Christian music now (Chris Tomlin, Twila Paris, Mercyme, Casting Crowns, Newsboys, Third Day, Steven Curtis Chapman, Matthew West, etc.). A reason exists beyond the fact that I enjoy that particular type of music. For one thing, it’s uplifting; but, beyond that, it causes me to continually think about God throughout the whole day! If I get a song stuck in my head, it’s a song about God! That is invaluable --absolutely invaluable.

Most contemporary Christian music is filled with or exclusively made up of scripture. Well, shoot, what better thing could you fill you mind with than that? I encourage you to think about filling your day with uplifting, Christian music. You will be amazed how different you feel throughout the day (much more positive!) and how much more you focus your thoughts on God and His Kingdom!

Get tuned in!

Garbage In, Garbage Out

What you read, watch, and listen to
does have an effect on you.

I hear a lot of Christians, especially the 16-26 years old group, espousing the notion that they can listen to whatever they wish, watch whatever they wish, read whatever they wish and visit wherever they wish without it affecting their Christian walk. I say HOGWASH!

It’s ignorant to believe that what you ingest into your mind has no effect on your thoughts and, thus, you’re Christian walk. I was thinking about this the other night when I was in the stupid mood to watch some trash TV (and that’s exactly what I told my wife I was doing) and flipped it to ABC’s Desperate Housewives. Believe me, I don’t make a habit of it, and I certainly don’t advocate it! (I do have my limits. For example, I will NOT watch Boston Legal. That’s some real trash TV!)

Anyway, I made a mental note of what occupied my thoughts after watching that show. Sex. That’s right, good ol’ S-E-X. Now, don’t get me wrong, thinking about sex is not wrong in and of itself in the proper context (and, as long it doesn’t completely preoccupy one’s thoughts to the exclusion of all else). I thought, however, how completely useless and unedifying watching that show was. What else do we occupy our minds with at the expense of thinking about God and His Kingdom!

Paul said everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial. What did he mean by that? Surely we cannot do whatever we wish as Christians. In the Pauline letters we see a clearer picture when we read them as a whole. It is clear from his writings that we are to focus on those things that are pure. He also makes mention of the fact that what may be wrong for one person (Christian) may not be wrong for another. He referred to the examples of not eating certain foods or what day of the week to worship. These minor differences are unimportant to God. What does matter is our relationship with God and our witness to others. Paul did say we must be careful not to cause our brother to stumble (in his Christian walk). We, also, must watch our witness to others.

Let’s, for arguments sake, say these things you watch and read and listen to have no effect on your Christian walk. What do these things say to others, though? Are you causing your brother in Christ to stumble? Are you causing your non-Christian friends to think “Hey, I thought he was a Christian. Well, if Christians can do that . . .”. It’s a dangerous trap.

Jesus called us to be the salt of the earth, but how are we to be the salt if we have lost our saltiness? That’s right, if you don’t taste any different than the world as a Christian, your Christianity is meaningless! Not only do you cause the witness of yourself to be damaged, you bring condemnation on all Christianity because your friends will use you as the yardstick with which to measure ALL Christians!

Yes, what you read, watch and listen to does have an effect on your Christian walk. Not only does it affect your thought life, but it affects your witness to others. Of that, you should be supremely concerned about as a Christian! Make the effort to seriously consider how you will spend your time. The next time you flip on the television, consider how the show or movie could negatively affect your thought life.

Unnatural Nature

In my post Beginning of Birth Pains, I discuss the relatively recent phenomena of the incredible frequency of intense natural disasters and how it may relate to the Bible (and how some non-Christians are making that connection). Yet again, today, I see on the news another magnitude 5 hurricane (the most powerful) heading towards the State of Florida. The discussion on TV centers on the unprecidented nature of this particular hurricane. Unbelievable! One of the office ladies I work with commented "I think I need to start going back to church!"

If this is part of what Christ described about the end times (and I believe it is), I am thankful God has made it obvious even to those who have not accepted Christ as savior. It opens huge possibilities for each of us, as Christians, to witness (or, merely just casually talk about the Bible) to others with whom we work.

Also, Japan just experienced a 6.2 magnitude earthquake. Japan has experienced earthquakes for a very long time, so that's not unusual. What is unusual is the frequency of them in relation to all else that is happening in the world. It just keeps coming and coming. Even the media has finally picked up on this (the unusual frequency and intensity of natural disasters).

I believe God is giving us Christians an incredible opportunity to witness to others. I pray God will give me the courage and wisdom to do this.