The Effects of Music

Imagine if you will that your mattress was your brain and the frame of the bed was your skull...sounds weird? Well remember, we're imagining; so your brain is the mattress and the bed frame is your skull. Now lets bring music into the equation; the music will be the bed spread, sheets and the pillow case. Oh, I forgot the pillow....let's make the pillow your memory. Now lets run through it quickly: your brain is the mattress, the frame is your skull, the pillow is your memory while the comforter, sheets and pillow cases represent music. From the start we all understand that we do not need sheets, pillow cases or comforter to go to sleep. We have been conditioned over the years that we can not get a good night rest with out them. The truth of the matter is we actually can, but to be quite honest its hard to imagine sleeping peacefully without them. Now back to the topic of discussion...music impacts or influences our mind. Music is like that comforter, sheet and pillow case. It has a way of surronding itself around us and brining us comfort. Music is like a canvass with the picture already painted. Its intensity speaks without speaking, its colors scream without yelling. Like this painting on the canvass, so is music when it gets into our mind. Music ministers to our spirit and after we wrap ourselves in it we become one with the rhythm, the lyrics wrap themselves around our mind like a headband and it becomes injected into our memory like a sedative that relaxes every fiber of ones being. Music listeners become one with the music, so much so that they can hear the songs replaying in their minds while at work. What's interesting is the music that I once played through an electrical device is now silent...so how then am I hearing it replaying in my mind? True it is embedded in our memory, but I submit to you that its deeper than that. The music has gotten into our spirit. There is some truth to what Gloria Estevan said in her song titled, "The Rhythm is Going To Get You." Here's the interesting part you become what you say. What I mean by that is that eventually what you listen to (music specifically) 

will eventually be sung or uttered by you. It will become your words. Music has a way of invoking the image or intent of the writer into our minds. It no longer becomes the writers intent, it becomes our idea. We think about what we're thinking about. Once we cross that threshold we become more like what we have sung or uttered out of our own mouths. Music even has the potential to generate a false reality. I have seen several interviews of rap artist that state, they do not live what they rap. Frustrated over the false reality, it will then set in and ultimately the person or persons that is engulfed into the writers intent will try with all his or her might to bring the fictional portion into their reality. Music causes attitude shifts as well. For the Christian, the wrong music has the ability to block or hinder our prayer life. How so? When we try to worship or have prayer in our prayer closet, we're calling on the name of the Lord and back in the corner of our minds we here "All Eyes On Me" by Tupac. I am not bashing Tupac, but what I am saying is  music can be and will be used by satan to distract us when trying to pray or worship. I often say what you put in is what will come out and often at the wrong time. One day I prayed and asked God about secular music and if its ok for me to listen to. Now before I tell you what He revealed to me let me just say that this is the type of relationship I have with Jesus. I ask Him what He thinks. Not only is He my savior, He's the Lord of my life. I have learned over the years that if you ask God, He will speak. After asking God the question about secular music here's what He revealed to me, "If it does not glorify my name, don't listen to it." Music is powerful....think about it before you let the sound and lyrics of music minister to your soul!