Barren Stanzas

In his book, The Strangest Secret, Earl Nightingale writes about a remarkable discovery.  “We become what we think about.” Now, that being said, I want to address music in our generation. Yes, OUR technology-driven “golden age” and an unlimited selection of music. In his play, Madea Goes to Jail, Tyler Perry says at one point to the audience, “See? Them children don’t know nothing about music. That’s why I feel sorry for these babies… All they sing about is sex. Music back in the day had mystery in it, you know?” I observe from afar a lot of these ‘young cats’ at Texas Tech University and throughout my hometown of Lubbock blasting their bass in their cars at full volume, jamming to their IPods and I just feel distressed. A.W. Tozer once said, “An idol of the mind is as offensive to God as an idol of the hand.”

Since we got married, my wife has been not just a positive influence for me (pertaining to my faith walk), but she has helped shed light on an unremitting hindrance in my life. I would become angry when I would listen to angry music. The raw emotion of my aura and my thoughts would be poisoned by these simplistic and all-around idiotic lyrics I would fill my mind with. My wife could sense it from a mile away. Nowadays, I am overjoyed to say that I have been spending my time listening to very encouraging and uplifting stations, such as Air1, etc. I take the time to listen to female artists with a story to tell, and my heart has become like wet paper. Songs such as, “Cinderella” by Steven Curtis Chapman have put me in tears in company of my wife. I encourage all of my readers to try to weed through some of your music and think, “Does this artist touch my heart or stir up unnecessary anger and vile?” I assure you, the results will amaze you.