.
I should start by saying that I don’t think that all “secular” music is evil. Just because a song or an artist isn’t officially Christian, doesn’t it can’t still have goodness and virtue in it.
I agree Neil and also what you said later makes sense.
.
Hi Neil,
I used to work in the music industry. I played in bands when I was younger, and I became the webmaster for a semi-famous australian pop-rock band. All of my kids also play instruments. However, I was heavily convicted about the music I listened to. Not only the lyrics, but also the spirit of the music. I had started to see how music was used like a pop-psychology device to help motivate and drive me/us. You need your favorite song while driving to work, or going somewhere as mundane as the supermarket. Music drives our western culture. Without music…, we may not even have a western culture. Music is an anti-depressant, it is a councilor, it is a priest, it is a spiritual advisor, it is a psychologist, it is our security, it is our encouragement, it is our memory, it is our good times, it is our better times, it is our hope, it is our faith…
Music has an enormous influence over most of us, and it may be in direct competition with the Spirit of God. Music locks our spiritual journey into the culture we want to identify with. We become a prisoner to the culture while tapping our foot to the beat of mediocrity. The Spirit of God is often trying to rescue us from this very thing. They become two opposite forces, each trying to move us in the direction of the inspiration. Anyway, it is a very personal choice. I can only speak for my self.
Steve
.
I came to the same conclusion. Most people want to classify music as morally neutral and therefore only the lyrics make the determination of whether music is good or bad. It has taken a long time, but I finally was convicted that some music was, for me, sensuality. I fought long and hard against this while in my youth, and now as someone in their thirties who absolutely loved Heavy Metal, Heavy Rock, Thrash, anything that could give a rush, I knew it was true deep down. I think the reason I knew it was addictive is because, when I decided to get rid of it, hearing it again felt like it was brand new again and was a huge adrenaline rush. It is similar to any addiction. I know many do not agree with this, and that is fine. We each need to respond to our convictions as we must.
To those who may be interested to know more, I propose a simple test. Can you go without music for 14 days? Try it going without, and then start listening to your favorite music again on the 15th day. See if you detect a difference in how your body responds to it… You can then make an informed decision. Not all music is bad! However, much of it, as you can feel the spirit in the music itself. That said, if you cannot go 14 days without music, I’d suggest it has mastery over you.