Must Be the Music by Michael Owens
One day while I was chilling at a friend’s house, I was introduced to a new music group. They were called NWA, which stood for “Niggaz With Attitudes.” My friend cranked up the music. The walls rumbled and the floor shook as the tight beats filled the room and captivated my attention.
I was caught up by the music. The vulgar and violent lyrics penetrated my subconscious, and I began to visualize the lyrics. I saw myself participate in a drive-by shooting, watched as a young lady was violated, and then stood by as the police were gunned down. Did I mention that I also got high from marijuana? It proved to be an interesting day full of new experiences.
This happened when I was 14 years old. I first imagined these events in my mind while listening to the lyrics of the music. Unfortunately, some of what I imagined later became a reality in my life. You see, as time went on and I continued to listen to that kind of music, I decided to smoke marijuana and lost my virginity to a girl I barely knew.
Music’s Influence
Music has more influence over your thought life than you may think. Whenever you listen to any type of music, you begin to paint pictures of what you are hearing on the canvas of your imagination. You begin to see the images of what is being portrayed in the song. This is one of the reasons why it is so important that you make wise choices when choosing the music you listen to.
Many of you reading this are thinking I don’t listen to the words. The beats are just tight. That’s the same thing I used to say to my mother when she didn’t like the music I listened to.
The tight beats are the bait that is used to get you hooked on the lyrics. Eventually, you’ll begin to listen to the words. Sadly, many young people begin to play these things out in their lives. The truth of the matter is that a lot of the songs are fictional stories that glorify the lives of a musician or an ungodly situation.
It’s also a money game. Record companies know that young people love to hear trash and will buy it. They create trash to fill a demand. Unfortunately, this demand also comes from the Christian community. Many young Christians purchase spiritually unhealthy music, or music that corrupts their spirits.
Every time you buy this type of music, you are supporting the lifestyles of unsaved musicians and are endorsing everything they “preach” over their beats. You are also helping other young people receive these negative words into their spirits. Think about it. If recording artists did not make any money from their music, they would no longer be in business!
Imagination
It is important to realize the power of words. The Bible says that death and life are in the power of the tongue, and we shall eat the fruit of our lips (Proverbs 18:21). Words have creative power. God demonstrated this in Genesis 1 when He spoke the world into existence. When He spoke, His words created everything He said.
This same principle also happens when lyrics are sung. They get into your spirit and begin to affect the way you think. Think about the times you have listened to a slow jam. As you’re getting your groove on, you began to imagine the different things that you hear being sung. If you have a boyfriend or girlfriend, you’ll probably allow your emotions to run wild and begin to imagine yourself in a compromising position. At this point, the words in that song have taken root in your mind. I guarantee you that you will eventually act out your thoughts. That’s why Jesus said in Matthew 5:28 (The New Living Translation) that if you look at a girl and think about having sex with her, you’ve already sinned in your heart. The Apostle Paul further warns young people to “run from anything that stimulates youthful lust…” (2 Timothy 2:22, NLT). First Corinthians 6:19 also states that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Defiling, or polluting, your temple begins long before the actual act. It starts with a thought.
Your imagination is a powerful tool. God gave it to you so that you could be creative. The word imagination means “the formation of a mental image of something that is neither perceived as real nor present to the senses.”
Genesis 11 records the story of the tower of Babel. A group of men decided to build a tower that would reach heaven. When God saw their plans and realized that they were of one mind, He saw that He needed to deal with the situation. He said, “…nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them” (verse 6, NIV).
If you allow your imagination to run wild, it will get you into all kinds of trouble. Music has the ability to control the imagination. That’s why it’s so important to listen to music that will cause you to imagine things that are pure. Philippians 4:8 (NKJV) says, “Finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” If you find yourself meditating on unhealthy things while you’re listening to music, know that this goes against the Word of God and can cause you to get into a lot of trouble.
If you take the time to research, there is a lot of alternative Christian hip-hop, rock, and R&B music available. This music has the phat tracks that you are looking for. The lyrics are even tighter! That way you can bump this at any time and still get a healthy dose of pure imagination. So when it comes to music, listen to it, but use some wisdom in your selections.
I along with some friends own a record label called “Restorical Entertainment” please go out to our web site and check out some great music and artists at WWW.Restoricalent.com