Wise or Not

https://odb.org/MY/2022/11/09/wise-or-unwise

When I first started out as a believer we had this issue of whether we should listen to secular music. Not just pop music but any genre. Of course as a musician, I didn’t quite take that to heart but neither did I get seriously into pop or other music. Over the years I found the genre I liked most – and in the end, I still play and sing mostly worship songs. Not because I have anything against secular music, it’s just that my role and calling in the church necessitated that I play worship songs and thus that’s what I ended up doing the same way as I play and sing mostly in the key of G and A, with the occasional C, D, E or even F keys. Do I have anything against Bb or Eb? No! But as a guitarist, those are more difficult keys to play although a capo will solve the problem quite easily. A pianist will not understand this struggle of a guitarist but throw a pianist the key of B or even C# and they might run all over! 😀😀😀

After going through those Charismatic movement aspersions, fears and even prejudice towards anything worldly, we now realise that we are very much part of the world and we need to know the world to relate to them. Not listening or playing worldly music, or watching TV programmes or going to the cinema or even reading secular books is actually quite self defeating. We are just limiting the scope of our perspective, knowledge and skills (in the context of a musician). That’s quite unimaginable in the current world of YouTube and Google! Although it is true that the world and television and other media have a powerful negative subtle influence on us, we should always hold on to the Word that, “Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world”. Jesus in us is stronger and as we allow the Holy Spirit to transform us by the renewing of our mind, we will not conform to the pattern of this world. We will eventually develop our own world view and move in faith instead of sight. Believing and trusting in the power of prayer to move mountains as even faith the size of a mustard seed can move a mountain, which figuratively speaking, means that if we have faith, little or more is less important, we can do wonders in both the spiritual and physical realms!

Still at the end of the day, there is the question of whether something is wise or not. It may be permissible but may not be wise. Nothing wrong to drive a Porsche 911 but is that a wise use of our money and is being flashy the image we want to portray? We might like to collect watches but seriously, should we go round wearing a Richard Mille or a Patek? Should we eat Japanese kobe beef steak or the finest abalone or lobster every weekend? Or drink only the finest and rarest wine? Look at Jesus. Was He the flashy or the simple and moderate type?

I guess as we mature in the faith, we will know and realise that the debate on whether to listen to secular music is trivial. There are many more pertinent things and issues in life that we will need to ask ourselves whether it is wise or unwise. Ultimately we need to ask whether it will glorify the name of the Lord or not, will Jesus be pleased or upset? Will God say well done or will He say, “C’mon what’s happening there?”.