Hola readers!
In the last few months I've established a love for all kinds of music. One of my best friends shared with me One Republic and since then I jam to their songs on youtube. Switchfoot is number one when listening to anything whatsoever and Needtobreath, House of Heroes, Skillet, and Fate Under Fire are also some bands I listen to when in the mood.
But sometimes I have to take a really good look at what I'm listening to. Music has the power to move you in ways you can't imagine. To me it's one of the most important parts of a movie or TV show. If there was no music we'd not watch it.
Music has the power to move us. I know it does - I've been moved in concerts by music. God has spoken to me through music. Some music makes me angry, like listening to a Skillet song when I need to be pumped up for a work-out. Some music makes me sad like listening to The Call from the Narnia movies. Some music breaks my heart like listening to Christmas Shoes at Christmas.
Readers. Music is powerful.

I think we get it into our heads that it doesn't matter about the lyrics. Believe me - been there done that. People say they love a song but then proceed to ask them what it means and they may sit their blankly for a long moment, trying to come up with an answer. If you ask them, "did he mean that he was sleeping with his girlfriend after getting drunk?" and they answer, "maybe?".  Houston, I think we have a problem. If you can't tell me what your favorite song means then chances are you're being pretty shallow.

In all seriousness, words and music have power and normally they go hand in hand. You sing the lyrics, get them stuck in your head for hours as a time. Songs (in a way only God can explain) move us in ways we can't all the way understand.
The question I think we all need to ask when listening to music is, "what or who are we worshiping?" I think the genre of worship is beautiful and a great description for the style and lyrics and the fact that we're pouring our hearts out to God, but let's be honest - all music worships something. I think the only problem with defining a certain type of music as "worship" the we block everything out as 'worship' too. We forget that God isn't the only one we can worship in this sinful world. We forget the command that we should love the Lord with all our heart, mind and soul. Music get's into our thoughts, it stays on our minds, it changes us in ways we can't begin to understand.

One reason I'm not a fan of country music is because it tends to lean on the side of break-ups and people getting drunk. But then you listen to pop and you get a bunch of love stuff and sleeping around. Then you head for rock and all we hear is going to hell. But then of course these are stereotypes for the genres however, wading in something other then Christian music can be a messy process.
But then even Christian music can be harmful. Don't believe me? Some of the good, Christian bands I hear on the radio sing about girls, love, fame, etc, etc, in ways (sometimes) less then pure, and while this may not be harmful to the listener, it's the question, "who are you worshiping?"

Now you can say, "do I have to be a nun? Why do I have to listen to Christian music with perfect lyrics 24/7?" And I'm not saying that, but I'm spouting my views here so please trudge on with me. Music is different from movies and books - you go through them once, set it down and then it comes to a close. Music stays with you. My parents still sing songs they listened to as kids and I think I actually speak in song lyrics haha. But this is my point.
I'm just going to throw out some stuff that might make you mad. It might make you want to leave my blog. And it just might make you want to throw an angry comment at me, but I want to be honest about this - it's been on my heart for awhile now.
Why are you listening to what you're listening? I want you to block out the singers cute voice. I want you to throw away the instruments. I want you to throw away all the good stuff. And I want you to look at the lyrics and tell me - why are you listening to that? If you don't have an answer then I think you may want to do some soul searching.
Personally I don't listen to profanity in songs but I know those who do, but I'm not talking about profanity either. I'm talking about the message of the song. I'm talking about the relationships that end up in bed and then are gone. I'm talking about the drugs. I'm talking about the partying. The constant heart-break songs. I'm talking about the meaningless stuff. Why. Are. You. Singing. It. Why are the windows rolled down in your car as you jam to it?

All Music is Worship Music. It just depends on what you're worshiping." Jon Foreman 

I'm not asking this to judge you. I'm saying this to everyone - including myself. Everything worships something. The question is, who are you worshiping? You don't have to listen to the worship music genre 24/7 and I'm not asking you to. Personally I'd miss my Switchfoot, but that's besides the point.
Every type of music, every song is worship music. The world is watching you. If you're a Christian, they're watching even closer. Who are you worshiping?
Recently I stopped listening to a band (I think the lead singer professes to be a Christian) because a lot of their songs centered around affairs and temporary relationships and some of them had some crude profanity (which I skipped). You can be shocked when you read this (if you know me well and know or a few years ago I'd never have listened to something like that), but I was and I did and God spoke to me heart. He told me that what I was doing wasn't sinful per say. I skipped the junky songs. I wasn't sinning. I wasn't doing the things the song talked about but because music is so powerful, because it moves you, can slowly allow it to begin to seep into your heart. I've seen so many people listen to the wrong kind of music, watch the wrong kind of movies and read the wrong kind of books and it began to change them in terrible ways. When I was listening to the kind of music I was listening to I wasn't taking the following verses to heart:

 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
Ephesians 4:29

But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 
Matthew 15:18

And I think this just doesn't mean speaking from your mouth but your heart, what you say in your mind - and you can say an awful lot in there!
 It's all worship music. Some people worship fame, some worship sex, some worship drugs, some worship God, and some worship each of these (including the Father) and have way too many gods and wander aimless and wonder why they're not happy. Each song, each band, worships a god in its own way, the question is...who are you worshiping?