Pure Words

In a study conducted in 2017, researcher Mark Bannister found that 75 percent of the songs that became top hits had explicit lyrics. This rise in popular songs with graphic words is extremely dramatic when considering that it is an 833 percent increase since the year 2001.

Lyrics are considered explicit when they refer to sex, violence, or other subjects without an appropriate amount of metaphorical veiling. This means that if lyrics alone are considered, there are fewer popular songs that are appropriate for Christian consumption today than in previous years.

Much of the popular music that has been produced in recent years encourages or glorifies lust or violence. In other words, this type of music directly conflicts with the type of lifestyle that Christians were intended to live. The apostle Paul warned Christians against imitating the behavior of the society around them: “Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts” (Romans 13:13, 14).

Music can powerfully engage our emotions, which means it can also be used to encourage good decisions. The same can be said of reading materials. There are plenty of websites, magazines, and books that can inspire us to live useful and loving lives. Although it may, at times, be difficult to discern whether a song or a book helps or hinders our Christian walk, we can trust the guidance of God.

He has given us an abundance of principles upon which to base our decisions. Whether we are choosing music or books, we can decide what is worthy of our attention by comparing it to the standard God has set: “The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth” (Ephesians 5:9).

Apply It:

Do an extra five minutes of research before your next media purchase.

Dig Deeper:

2 Corinthians 6:15–18; 1 John 2:15–17; James 4:4

Key Bible Texts

Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; (1 Peter 2:11 KJV)