If I had a dollar for every time a song played that I didn't recognize, I would have enough money to go to college, get my masters, and a doctorate... twice. That kind of comes with the territory when you choose to listen to nothing but Christian music.

I made the decision to listen to only Christian music when I was 13. I was listening to the radio when the newest Miley Cyrus song came on. Let's just say that it wasn't a very good song to listen to, let alone if you're 13. So, I flipped it to the local Christian station in time to hear my girl Britt Nicole. Since then, I have stopped listening to modern secular music.

Now, I'm not saying that all secular music is vulgar or that if someone listens to secular music that they're going to hell. However, as a Christian, I need to lead my life as an example to weaker believers and nonbelievers. That is why Christians have to be extremely careful about what they listen to.

Philippians 4:8 says, "Finally, brother, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable if there is any excellence if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." This verse doesn't say that we should think about sex, or drinking, or drugs, but what is of God. We need to fill our heads with the things that are pleasing to the Lord.

By listening to secular music that has inappropriate messages, we risk filling our minds with those messages. This can affect other areas of our lives like hobbies, friendships, and relationships. So, next time you are going to listen to a song, take the time to actually listen to the lyrics to figure out what they mean and to pray for the Lord's guidance on what music to listen to. And remember, blasting TobyMac in the car is always a good choice!