Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29
It has been a few days now and my mind is being bombarded with songs. Actually, only a few songs, but one in particular. It’s driving my nuts! Have you ever gotten something inside your head that just gets stuck? It seems big, but you can’t grasp the meaning behind it all.
My song has been the “Alligator Stroll” by Josh Turner. This is a very old song that was sung for years before he sang it. Here I am with it good and stuck, picturing this happy alligator with a big smile heading to the Carolinas…slow and steady. Just when I think that I’ve kicked the “habit”, it comes right back in.
The truth is that we can be spoken to in so many different ways. God can have music touch us or the devil can use it to get a hold of our thoughts in such a sneaky way we don’t realize it’s even happening. I’m reading a book by Zig Ziglar called Raising Positive Kids in a Negative World. He said that these words are sung into the minds of our children with a beat, dozens, even hundreds of times. He went on to say that the impact is far greater than the same words would be if he used them in a speech and they were heard one time.
Zig Ziglar challenges us to really listen to the words of these songs. We say we only like them for the beat, but we are still hearing the words that are painting pictures in our minds and our children’s minds. It has a huge affect on us whether we understand that or not. He also said, “Great music can lift a person to heights of accomplishment and inspire marvelous contributions to society.”
Why would we choose to listen to music that we don’t agree with and that can drag us down? Seems silly to me when looked at that way! I’m careful with what’s on the television, but am I slowing down to really hear what’s being said in music? He challenges us to look up the lyrics and really read what we’re listening to. I love music, especially if it has a great beat. It was hard to take out some of those songs that I’ve been singing for years after opening my eyes to what I was allowing to get into my mind and sing along with.
Why is the “Alligator Stroll” stuck in my mind? I don’t know, but I hope I find out if it doesn’t go away soon. I like the song and all, but it seems like more than that to me. It was even getting in the way of my prayer time…or was it? I think God is telling me something here, but I just need to grasp what it is!
I’m sure glad I don’t have a song on replay that’s about lack of morals and character. I’d really be wondering where I was heading! Yep, best to keep them out of the play list.
I challenge you to take a look at the songs you’re listening to. Does it have words that you’d be happy with a young person using in conversation? Would you be embarrassed if you had to use them while talking to someone in conversation? Keep your mind and words clean in order to move along the path God created for you to go. There’s plenty of great music out there to find that you still feel good after listening to it!
