Music

I took a few long minutes today to listen to some songs from Taylor Swift's new album. My curiosity arose when I noticed most of the little girls at school singing these songs. I know we live differently that most people since we don't have the influence of TV. And I also know that we might be a little "weird" since we don't listen to teen pop stars. But, I believe the Bible calls us to be different. Not just on Sundays or at school, but in all areas of our life.

The Holy Spirit is continually convicting me in the areas of my life where I quench Him instead of letting Him fill my life. Music is one of those areas that I became convicted of not too many years ago. You see, I used to think that in order to run for exercise that I had to listen to fast, upbeat music. Not churchy music, because that didn't motivate me. I needed something more like rap or some fun country like Shaina Twain. But, do you know what I noticed? I would come home from a good run and be bursting at the seams with attitude to my husband. I would walk in with a different face and a new energy that spoke very clearly the lyrics I had just heard,

Honey I'm home and I've had a hard day
Pour me a cold one, and oh, by the way
Hey rub my feet, get me something to eat
Fix me up my favorite treat

Or how about . . .

Any man of mine better walk the line
Better show me a teasin' squeezin' pleasin' kinda time
I need a man who knows, how the story goes
He's gotta be a heartbeatin' fine treatin' Breathtakin' earthquakin' kind
Any man of mine

It took awhile, but God finally gave me His strength to obey the Holy Spirit and throw out the self-centered lies I had been listening to and replace it with Christ-honoring lyrics. (Here's what I chose to purchase instead!)



Now, it's my job to teach my children this Biblical principle -

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Romans 12:2

Haven't we all been taught that what goes in our minds comes out? Why do we think it is any different with music or television shows or movies? Here is what my Nelson Study Bible has to stay about this verse:

"Instead of being molded by the values of this world, the believer should be transformed, that is, changed by the renewing of the mind. Spiritual transformation starts in the mind and heart. A mind dedicated to the world and its concerns will produce a life tossed back and forth by the currents of culture. . . We can resist the temptations of our culture by meditating on God's truth and letting the Holy Spirit guide and shape our thoughts and behaviors."

Do you want your girls to be

"a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter"

Do you really want your girls singing about kissing a boy and making out in the rain in hopes of taking away the pain she feels inside?

"Drop everything now

Meet me in the pouring rain

Kiss me on the sidewalk

Take away the pain

Cause I see sparks fly

You're a bad idea

You touch me once and it's really something

You find I'm even better than

You imagined I would be"

Do you long for your daughters to engage in premarital sex and to be left alone after giving herself away?

"I still remember the look on your face

Lit through the darkness at 1:58

The words that you whispered for just us to know

You told me you loved me

So why did you go away"

Do you want your little girls mixed up in a love triangle fighting for revenge?

"She's not a saint, and she's not what you think

She's an actress, whoa

But she's better known for the things that she does on the mattress

Whoa Soon she's gonna find stealing other peoples' toys on the playground won't make you many friends

She should keep in mind

She should keep in mind

There is nothing I do better than revenge"

These songs and so many more that I could have quoted speak of the terrible heart aches of romances gone wrong. But this is what our culture tells us little girls should do. They should go out and get a boyfriend in order to be popular or fit in. They need the "love" of a boy to be whole and secure. Premarital sex is normal now, every bodies doing it. Yes, even in Taylor Swift music videos.

And your daughters are listening. They singing these songs and don't think for a minute that they don't get it. That they don't internalize the messages they hear and that it won't show up in their livs.

And so, love is awakened at a very young age, when girls should be playing board games and pretending to be school teachers or learning how to bake in the kitchen. Instead, they are now thinking about wearing make-up and boys and what it would be like to kiss him. I don't buy the message that with the "progress" of America we must sacrifice the innocence of our children. I don't buy the message that to protect my children is a "bad" thing. God graciously gave me these children "to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." Ephesians 6:4

In Song of Solomon chapter 8, the Bible tells us,

"Promise me, O women of Jerusalem, not to awaken love until the time is right." NLT

Ideas of love and boyfriends and girlfriends and all the other beautiful things that come with forever love should not be awakened in our children before the time is right for them. And when is the time right? It certainly isn't in elementary school. At this age, my girls should be spending time with their family, learning how to be ladies, having their daddy be the love of their life, and learning how to be true friends to others. Now is not the time to "practice" love relationships. Practice doesn't always make perfect. In fact, in this case, practice can be very dangerous.