What you like, you THINK about.
What you love, you TALK about.
What you worship, you SING about.
What do Americans sing about? Last week’s top five songs concern: 1) breaking up, 2) drugs, 3) sex, 4) the excitement of a new romance, and 5) a song by the old girl complaining about her ex’s new girl. So what do we worship? What do we EXALT?
We exalt 1) the drama of romance, 2) the animal “thrills” of sex and drugs, and 3) the bitterness of rejection. Incidentally, all five songs included foul language, four of them the “F” word. We now exalt that which is most raw, like prison inmates throwing feces at each other. We take the worst we have and smear it on each other.
“The wicked wander everywhere, and what is worthless is exalted by the human race” Psalm 12:8.
WHAT IS WORTHLESS IS EXALTED.
We worship the worthless. To be fair, most music is not as foul Ryan Seacrest’s at40.com. But even country music—sometimes “tame” by comparison—is FILLED with songs that exalt drinking and breaking up. We sing about the worthless. Don’t get me wrong—many songs are fun and harmless. There’s nothing wrong with songs like “Grandma’s Featherbed”—John Denver did not worship the bed. It’s just a fun, silly song.
But music was created for worship; the more serious a song is, the more worship it inspires. Serious songs about sinful subjects can influence fans to put those subjects on a pedestal—after all, if it was not important, no one would sing about it—and you begin to value and worship those things.
Remember, “what is worthless is exalted by the human race” Psalm 12:8. Don’t let music confuse you about what matters. Jesus and his life, death, and resurrection—that is what we should exalt.
God, make us discerning about music, movies, and media. Help us fill our minds with things that exalt you. Make us better worshipers. Protect us from the bad influences around us. “I will put the one who longs for it in a safe place” Psalm 12:5. Lord, put our hearts in a safe place.
ΑΩ
Household Words: 