Listening to Christian Music out of Guilt

(This is a Blog post I just submitted to Stuff Christians Like Blog)

Christian music from the 60's and 70's was...okay. Nothing can beat great hits like Larry Norman's "I wished We'd All Been Ready" and Petra's "Judas' Kiss", right? Wrong. The secular music industry with The Temptations and The Beatles were sitting atop the throne of music during that era. Living almost two generations later, I can see that nothing has changed. The Christian music industry is still chasing behind those darn secular musical groups.

I bring this up because Christians love to secretly listen to secular music, and then out of guilt switching the station to the local K-Love. I have a co-worker who is a great Christian lady, but she loves secular music. She just doesn't enjoy listening to Christian music, and I judge her from time to time. I yell things at her like "Pagan" or "Heathen," but she knows it is all in good fun. This lady feels no guilt. Unfortunately, I cannot live life the same way. Every time I get done listening (and dancing...another Christian faux pas) to Black Eyed Peas or Justin Timberlake, this overwhelming guilt looms over me and urges me to listen something Spiritual and Christian.

I have a friend, who as a little child, who experienced this very thing. She had a small radio in her room, and she would listen to Britney Spears and The Back Street Boys. Her mom would come into her room and reprimand her for listening to ungodly music and make her turn the radio to a Christian station. After a little bit, my friend began to understand the system. She would be dancing (its okay...she has been saved since then) to the "bad" music until she heard her mother's footsteps. Quickly she would change her radio to the Christian station, and sit down in front of the radio just bobbing her head with the music.

What my friend learned when she was younger, I have failed to learn at the ripe age of twenty-two. The location is not my room but my car. When I am by myself in the car, I listen to the secular radio station, and I usually remember to change my radio to the Christian station before I get out of the car to make it appear I'm holy in my music listening. However, I forget from time to time and I get some weird looks, and I know what they are thinking in their heads..."you, Pagan" or "This guy is a Heathen."

I know guilt should not be the sole reason for listening to Christian music, but it is great motivation. Forget Katy Perry, Eminem, and Lady Gaga and bring on David Crowder and Chris Tomlin...at least until there is no one around.

And just to let everyone know...I am listening to Hillsong right now as I write this.