It’s really just music… Innit?

When I newly became born-again, I told myself I didn’t really need to change my playlist. I made excuses like “I’m not really listening to the lyrics – just the beat of the song – so it doesn’t affect me” “This is a clean version of the explicit one so God won’t mind” “Gospel songs are kind of boring”. But for each of this thought, I had this deep knowing in my mind that I shouldn’t be listening to stuff like this. And when my spirit would gently tell me that, I’d push it aside. Then I grew to “oh yay! No curse words so yah, I’m good. Drunk in loooooooooooooove! Surfboardt!”

I was a Beyonce Stan! Woe betide you if you said one bad word about Beyonce. To me, she could do no wrong whatsoever. She was the role model I would meet some day. I mean, she was married so that automatically made whatever perversion she portrayed “acceptable” right? She was “sexy and classy not trashy like Rihanna” right? (Like, picking a lesser evil instead of a greater evil changes the fact that it is still… Evil). She was Perfect. Ethereal. Flawless. A fellow human being… Flawless. I was committing idolatry without even realizing it. Entertaining perversion and therefore endorsing it and getting attached to it! Trying to serve two masters. Now, I wonder who I was kidding.

If it’s really just music, why did I find myself thinking thoughts that had no business being in my mind?
If it’s really just music, why did I find myself using curse words? (I kidded myself that since I only cursed when I was pissed and not normally, it wasn’t SO bad – forgetting that my Bible says “Out of the abundance of thy heart, thy mouth speaks”. In this case, speaking filth only meant one thing)
If it’s really just music, why did I find myself saying “Holy, Holy God, I want to BE JUST LIKE YOU” and then turning around to entertain the very things that are the direct opposite of Holy? I mean, how did I want to BE like someone if I was not DOING like that someone? :s

I wanted to have my cake and eat it. But God is not a puppet that fits into our plans when we need Him to.
The Bible says [Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One), (‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭5‬ AMP).

I woke up one fateful morning 8 months ago and without even telling anyone, deleted every single Beyonce (and Drake. And pretty much every other non-Christian artiste) song on my laptop and phone. Left for about 5 pure love songs, I deleted them all. ALL. Nigerian songs inclusive. Cos most of them are the absolute worst. The Beyonce album I bought for 10 bucks on iTunes? Deleted as well. I can tell you that since that morning until now, I have not missed any of those songs one bit. And I thought I’d never survive without my playlist! Ha!

I loaded my phone and laptop with tons of Godly songs. Awesome God-glorifying songs with impeccable instrumental quality that I never knew existed. What rock was I under? I realized that the devil really does blind your eyes if you give him the consent to do so. He will do a very good job at it.

Your body is the temple of God and what’s your body’s central system? YOUR MIND. There are two door ways to the mind – the sight door and the sound door.
And you alone possess the keys that open them.
What are you reading? What are you watching? What places do you go to? What are you listening to? What conversations are you having – with people (your friends especially ) and yourself?
Like healthy-looking fruits, healthy thoughts are cultivated with care…
And like bad fruits, unhealthy thoughts must be weeded away.

According to Carlis Howze, we approve of whatever we consistently entertain. If we consistently entertain sexual filthy things, not only do we approve of perversion, but we will eventually become attached to it in some way. It’s impossible to like something (or someone), entertain it and not begin to display characteristics of it.

It really is more than just music. It is influence. Check your heart.