What Sort of Music Should We Listen to?

As Christians, deciding on the songs to listen to can be a challenge when delving into the vast world of music, but there are a few tips we can look at.

Convictions:

We all have our own convictions, things we do not desire to do for it just feels wrong. Paul mentions this topic in his epistles to the Romans: "I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to the one who thinks something is unclean, to that person it is unclean," (Romans 14:14 NASB). At this time, Jews were beginning to become Christians, they no longer had to abide under kosher laws; even so, many still did not desire to as they were accustomed to not. Thus, they had a conviction to still abstain from these foods which Paul noted was fine as one should not break their convictions over such matters. This concept still is important and can be applied to our question on music. If a person feels the music is bad, one should avoid it. Even if this is not a personal conviction, it could be a conviction from the Spirit: "And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment," (John 16:8 NASB1995).

Poor Theology:

In some Christian songs, the artist focuses far more on the sound of the song, than its actual message. The prosperity gospel and egotism (among others) are anti-Christian themes that we must avoid when listening to these songs. Songs can change one's mind, so listening to songs with good messages is important for living a virtuous life. To avoid this, it is good to read the lyrics before adding the song to your playlist.

Sinful Acts:

Sin is promoted in all areas of life, so we have to stay on guard at all times: " Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world," (1 Peter 5:8-9 NASB1995). As mentioned previously, music can influence our actions, so we have to be careful of our consumption of music so as to not promote or fall into sin.

Works Cited:

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