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Be Careful Little Ears What You Hear

 

 

In this blog, I am going to dive into why you have to be careful what you listen to, whether it’s from Taylor Swift, or any selcular artist, or someone who brands themself as a Christian artist.

 

 

I used to have debates with my husband about this. We have moved a lot since being married which makes our church search never ending (or so it seems). We’d try out a new church and when we would discuss it afterwards, my husband would say he didn’t like it because of the music and I would roll my eyes.

 

 

But I have grown a lot in my faith over the years and look back and realize he’s actually onto something.

 

 

While I was at Liberty University I heard a sermon given on Lucifer as an angel. Not your typical topic you’d expect to hear as a sermon, I know. But it was one that impacted me and I’ve always kept in the back of my mind. The sermon was about Lucifer’s job in Heaven before he fell like lighting from Heaven  (Luke 10:18) and became the devil: he directed music.

 

 

If the devil was in charge of music before he fell from heaven, do you think he would suddenly lose all his musical abilities once he is thrown from heaven? I don’t. He can now just use his abilities for evil.

 

 

The sermon I heard while at Liberty talked about this and how as Christian’s worship is so important for us. We are to worship God with our voices and our musical abilities and take over the role of worship. The pastor also talked about the importance of being careful what you listen to, there is a great song by Casting Crowns called “Slow Fade” that addresses this very concern.

 

 

After that sermon I was very convinced and convicted to not listen to secular music. Obviously it cannot be avoided completely, but to be intentional about what music I listen to. This led me into only intentionally listening to “Christian Music” for a while.

 

 

I put “Christian Music” in quotes because not all music that is labeled as Christian, is worship music. That seems obvious though. But similarly, not all music that is labeled as worship music is in fact worship music. Now that may seem obvious too, but if not, let me explain.

 

 

In the Bible we see instances of worshipping God in a few different ways. The most well known, and one often made into worship songs, is when the seraphim and four living creatures praise God saying “Holy, Holy, Holy” in Isaiah 6:3 and Revelation 4:8. But that is not the only way we are instructed to praise God.

We are to proclaim his salvation day after day, declare His glory, sing “The Lord reigns” (1 Chronicles 16:23-32).

We are to praise the name of God (Daniel 2:20).

Sing to the Lord and give praise to Him (Deuteronomy 10:21, Jeremiah 20:13, Psalm 75:1, Psalm 99:3).

We are to worship God with our bodies as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1).

We are to obey the Lord (1 Samuel 15:22).

Shout for joy to the Lord and worship with gladness (Psalm 100:1-2).

 

The overarching theme of how to worship God: proclaiming Him. We honor God. We sing about God. We are to praise God!

 

 

What is worship not? It is not about us. It is not about us being saved, but God saving. I said the same thing, but it’s the difference in how you say it and where the focus is. Is the focus on you or God?

 

 

My husband shared something with me the other day that pointed out how many times you sing “I” in a worship song. The following Sunday I noticed in church the very first word of the very first song was “I”. Then the song continued with “I am” statements. Not the kind of “I am” statements we see in the Bible describing God, but talking about self. So many “worship” songs of today talk about yourself: your feelings, your experiences.

 

 

Worship songs are supposed to declare about God. Hymns sing about God’s attributes. Today’s worship songs sing about self and our emotions.

 

 

As described in the clip my husband shared with me "Holy, Holy, Holy" became "I'm feeling holy feelings."

"Great is Thy Faithfulness" became "I'm so blessed."

"A Mighty Fortress" became "I'm breaking through."

 

 

Remember: Satan was the one in charge of worship. He knows how to manipulate it. He changed worship from being about God, to being about self. The devil just manipulated us into thinking we praised God for 30 minutes when in fact we praised ourselves.

 

 

Just read the words. We read Job or Psalms and we know Job, David, or the psalmist were worshipping God- yet we don’t even have the tune they were worshipping to. True worship doesn’t need a production. The repetition of the bridge can be hypnotizing with the music. How is it being read?

 

 

So I now admit, my husband may in fact have been onto something. Paying attention to the worship music at a church is in fact important. It might not need to be the reason you don’t attend the church- have a conversation with the worship director. Maybe their eyes are still blind to this deception. Help open them and be the change.

 

 

But don’t expect the change to come in church if you aren’t willing to change your life outside of church.

 

 

In my title I did mention my take on Taylor Swift, yet so far this whole blog has been about worship music. Did I mislabel my blog? No! It’s not just secular music nor just worship music that matters- they both do!

 

 

As Christian’s we are called to think about things that are lovely and pure and excellent and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8). But it is very hard to think about such things when our minds are being inundated with grotesque imagery and debauchery.

 

 

Many women, and even many people of this upcoming generation have strong opinions on Taylor Swift. She has been around since Millennial’s have been in middle school, and is still around for Gen Z. She has such a wide range of fans, and has covered a wide range of music. I have noticed many mothers letting, or even encouraging, their young daughters to listen to Taylor Swift because they were “swifties” at their daughter’s age.

 

 

But her music does not instill lovely, excellent, or praiseworthy things to think about. In her newest album, the chorus of “Father Figure” reads “I’ll be your father figure, I drink that brown liquor. I can make deals with the devil because my dick’s bigger. This love is pure profit, just step into my office. They’ll know your name in the streets”.

 

Now some can argue that the meaning behind the lyrics can change them, but regardless of the meaning, is this uplifting music? Is this what we-or young girls- should be fixing our minds and eyes upon?

 

 

Unfortunately, we can’t encourage women and young girls to listen to other T-Swift songs instead, as many do not fit within a Christian lens.

 

Her song “Better Than Revenge” sings about “she’s better known for the things that she does on the mattress”.

In “Look What You Made Me Do” T-Swift sings about “I'm sorry, the old Taylor can't come to the phone right now. Why? Oh, 'cause she's dead”.

“But Daddy I Love Him” mocks Christian’s with the lyrics singing “Sarahs and Hannahs in their Sunday best

Clutchin' their pearls, sighing, "What a mess"

I just learned these people try and save you

'Cause they hate you

I'll tell you something 'bout my good name

It's mine alone to disgrace

I don't cater to all these vipers dressed in empath's clothing

God save the most judgmental creeps”

In “Guilty as Sin” she mocks God himself “what if I roll the stone away?

They're gonna crucify me anyway

What if the way you hold me is actually what's holy?”

 

 

This very limited list of examples doesn’t even count the number of explicit songs in each album. Once again, listening to songs that swear is not lovely, pure, excellent, or praiseworthy.

 

 

So to finally get to my take on Taylor Swift, I don’t think she should be listened to by Christians. But she is not the only one. She is a glaring example because of how many generations she has sung for and impacted. She is an artist who is on a pedestal and sometimes idolized by those who have been “Swifties” from the beginning.

 

 

We are called to guard our hearts because out of it flows the spring of life (Proverbs 4:23). Does listening to secular music do that? No. Does singing worship songs about ourselves do that? No, plus it violates true worship of God.

 

 

Pay attention to the lyrics that you are listening to. Pay attention to lyrics of worship music. Honor God with music, and make sure you are worshipping God, not self. Listening to Christian music can be ok, but not all Christian music is worship towards God. 

 

 

Be diligent, be aware, stay vigilant. Now you are aware of tactics of the enemy used in both secular and Christian music. Don’t let him manipulate you. Don’t be deceived by any music.