I was recently asked to join a friend of mine to a concert Friday night, ticket was on her. I politely declined. I could tell I hurt her feelings and she asked me, "Why? Do you not like Pitbull? How in the world could you not like him, he's hot!! I thought you used to like him?" I explained to her that I have been a fan of his before and of Enrique's but over the years I have just slowly been uninterested in music that glorified sex, partying, and basically mocked teachings of the Bible. I also started to explain to her that my spirit has been needing protection lately. My friend is not a Christian and she did not quite understand what I meant but she kept asking questions, so I kept answering as lovingly and as honestly as I could without saying something that might make her think I was judging her for going to the concert.
In my quest to explain to her what I meant by everything, I made a comment about me getting married soon. I said, "you know, I am so excited to get married but I also have been facing fears of marriage and right now I need to protect my spirit and my heart from any thoughts that are not of Him." Her response was, "you are taking this married thing a little too far now Cryssie." I thanked her and smoothly changed the subject as I could tell the conversation was going in circles.
I thanked her for her comment because where she meant it as an insult, I took it as a compliment. Yes, I am taking the "marriage thing" far.....because it is far. It's a far off season of life that will drastically be different from my single life. My marriage will be (next to God) the most important thing in my world and if listening to music that glorifies sex and pride could possibly open any negative feelings or thoughts; I will gladly turn away from it and protect my heart.
"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." Proverbs 4:23
I spent the rest of my day in deep thought over our conversation, I started to realize that I really wasn't sure what my stance was on secular music. As a Christian, I kind of just listen to majority Christian and maybe once in a blue moon, I listen to something that isn't Christian. I started to listen to sermons on this topic and realized that I needed to be more mindful of what I let come into my ears and into my mind, spirit, and heart. I have thought this for a while but it wasn't until today that I really studied this topic.
Why did my spirit automatically get so uncomfortable with the thought of going to this concert? Why were my convictions screaming out to me? These questions were ringing over and over in my mind, so I listened to a couple of these artists songs and when I had finally had enough...... my spirit was so sad. I felt icky inside and so sad that so many women and young girls listen to these songs and open up their hearts to this music. I'm not gonna lie, when I was totally in the world, Enrique Iglesias was one of my favorites. Sadly, it wasn't his music I enjoyed but I mainly lusted over him. I have seen him in concert twice and embarrassingly I have to admit, I do not remember much of the music aspect of the concerts because I was so focused on my lustful thoughts of him.
I haven't listened to much of him in the past few years but I pulled up one of his newer songs and my heart just broke. His "I'm A Freak" video and song is about nothing but freaky casual sex and a total disregard to what God created it to be. "Time Of Our Lives" by Pitbull was the most disturbing to me. The song starts off with being late on bills but using that money to go out and party. Luke 16:1 teaches us that we are to be good stewards of our money so how can I jam out to somebody going totally against what my God tries to teach us day in and day out? At one point, Pitbull totally mocks the Church and then turns around and says he is blessed; totally mocking what I hold near and dear to my heart. The Church is my life. She is my God's wife and His love. In so many of his lyrics he blatantly tells the listener that he only wants lust; totally glorifying the total opposite thing that God created sex for. As a Christian, that totally hurt my heart. I literally felt sick to my stomach when I was done listening.
So much of these lyrics completely crushed my spirit as I listened. Maybe it's that my life IS going into a whole new season and so my heart is so sensitive lately. I am about to be a wife and soon after we'll start talking about having children. So, maybe it's the idea of being a mother to a daughter one day and hating the thought that she would listen to these lyrics and feel like it is ok to be degraded and used by men. Or maybe it has nothing to do with the new season I am going into but it is my heart growing so much more and more in love with Jesus that a song that disregards everything He is about totally breaks my heart.
I'm not sure exactly what the reasoning is but I do know whatever it is, it all boils down to Jesus. I am not perfect nor will I ever be. I will continue to sin and continue to do things that totally break His heart. I will continue to be corrected and redirected just like I have been in the past and that's ok. However, I know who my heart belongs to and I know what direction my walk is going. Just because I know I am a sinner and will never be perfect does not give me a free pass to participate in something that 100% dishonors the Man I totally revolve my whole life around, God. God has an enormous amount of love for me and I know He would never support ANYBODY singing songs to put me down, so why would I do that to Him?
I'm not here to judge anybody; like I said, I'm not perfect and I never will be. I am not here to say anybody is a bad person or that somebody is a better person if they do not listen to secular music. However, I am here to plant a seed and to remind you of who you serve and what He stands for. Nothing is more sensitive than our spirits and souls, please be careful ears what you hear and be careful eyes what you see. I'm not sure how I will carry out the rest of this conviction. I don't know if I will totally put away all of my secular music and all of my secular movies. I'm not sure if I will ever listen to another Coldplay song or watch another horror movie again but I do know that God has placed a new conviction in my spirit. I am one to obey Him with all that I can and protecting my heart is one of the most important things to me. I do know this breakthrough will bring about a change in my life and I couldn't be happier with it. I will take any step closer to His image that I can!!!
God Bless you all!
