Music: Country

Okay so we covered rock and rap, now for what we southern girls relate to best, country music! This is the good genre though, innocent…Right?

Let’s look at some popular country songs. I love country music and I was raised on it, but I try to limit my intake on it simply because it causes my heart to lust after boys or the idea of having a man in my life. When I do this my focus is taken off of God and put on a human whom God never intended me to be with (because unless your engaged or married, you don’t know the man God has for you.) Furthermore, this is putting my heart and soul into false hope. Men let you down. They’re human, not perfect like the fairy-tales say. Psalm 146:3 says, “Do not put your hope in princes, in mortal men who cannot save.” Look at the lyrics to this video and examine what it does to your emotions, your heart, and your thoughts.

This is a beautiful song, but one of the reasons it’s so popular is because it stirs up our emotions. It causes us to want things we don’t have, which is not being content with what God has currently given us. (Philippians 4:12)

This is another video of a song I absolutely love, it’s so sweet and pretty sounding! However I discipline myself not to listen to it too often because it makes me think about having someone to ask to “stay here a little while and hold each other tight.” This is an issue of giving my heart away to an idea rather than keeping my motives pure and focused on God. (Matthew 22:37, James 4:3)

“Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.”

1 Corinthians 4:5

Another way to enjoy music while keeping your thought-life pure is to switch your perspective. Instead of listening to love songs and fantasizing about that guy your crushin on, change your thoughts and think of it as a love song to God. When you fall madly in love with God, those songs automatically remind you of him. After all, most praise songs are simply love songs made for God. When I listened this this next song with a mindset focused on God, I discovered a whole new depth and beauty to the lyrics. Listen to this familiar song and praise God with your heart during it.

Here is another beautiful song that can easily be applied to the love God has for us. I don’t know if any of you have heard it yet but it is currently number 20 on the country billboard charts.

You think your lost
But your not lost on your own
Your not alone (Mathew 28:20“…And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.")
I will stand by you
I will help you through
When you’ve done all you can do
If you can’t cope
I will dry your eyes (Revolation 21:4)
I will fight your fight (1 corinthians 15:58)
I will hold you tight
And I wont let go (Isaiah 41:12-13 MSG –one of my FAVORITE verses!!)