pineapple coconut

Hey friends! Almost time for swimsuits, sleeping in, and my personal favorite, the snowball! Until I moved here, I had never seen snowball stands, but these wonderful sugary-sweet iced concoctions are great thirst quenchers in the hot months! I take back the sleeping in, at least at my house. There is never sleeping in! We will enjoy a relaxed feel in the air, though! Windows down, feeling the breeze, listening to music as we drive is fun in the summer time. What kind of music do you listen to?

“I just listen to this music for the beat.” This statement has been spoken by many teenagers and adults alike who believe that lyrics to music don’t matter. Some even believe that children who cannot understand innuendos are safe when they watch tv or movies.

We sing lullabies, including “Jesus Loves Me’ to infants because it creates a secure environment and one day they will understand that Jesus loves them. We tell babies Bible stories with simple lessons such as “Always do what is right” because their minds are developing and they are learning.

Every sin begins with a thought in the mind, so it is super important to watch what we put in our minds and “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). This guarding of the mind and heart never has an expiration and applies to every person of every age. We are never too mature to be tempted by sin. When we think we are invincible, we are not paying careful attention and the enemy likes to invade. Colossians 3:2-5 tells us to “Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”

What we fill our minds with eventually comes out in some way. When we listen to music that dehumanizes women or beating up people, it will begin to negatively affect the listener. God has created our brains intelligently and we take in information, even when we do not realize it. Our subconscious picks up on lyrics to music whether we like it or not.

This is not to say we have to take it to a point of legalism, so we only listen to Christian music or only watch certain movies. We would miss out on some really great music, movies, artwork, and more if we ignored all secular stuff and only paid attention to stuff created by Christians! It is simply important to evaluate life through Scripture. In Romans, we are told, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2). When we listen to music that glorifies God, our mindset will be focused on Him, which makes it easier to make life decisions about family, college, work, and relationships. Christianity is not just about following a list of rules and trying to “be good” but we must strive to keep in mind our motivation for what we fill our lives with. Have a fantastic week, you all! If you live near a snowball stand, grab one of those. I like the pineapple, coconut!

Love,

Charis