Music is almost essential to life as a human being.  God created us to enjoy music, for it to lift our spirits, to comfort us, and to provide a means of praising Him from the heart.

But when it comes to Christians, the music can often be a stumbling block to us.  Usually we either allow any type of it into our ears, or we try to listen to a select genre that we feel comfortable with.  Sometimes we don’t really know what we’re allowed to listen to as Christians, so we simply listen to nothing.  All of these approaches have their benefits and dangers, and I’m not here to push my own view on anyone, but I believe that there are three major questions you should ask before listening to any type of music.

Does it glorify God?

The Bible has a lot to say about music.  Especially throughout the Psalms, there are many verses that emphasize the importance of praising God, or glorifying Him.

Psalm 71:23 - My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to Thee; And my soul, which Thou hast redeemed.

Psalm 75:9 - But as for me, I will declare it forever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.

Psalm 96:2 - Sing to the Lord, bless His name; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.

Psalm 98:4 - Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; Break forth and sing for joy and sing praises.

Psalm 105:2 - Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Speak of all His wonders.

There are also many references to other types of singing in the Bible.

James 5:13 - Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.

Colossians 3:16 - Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

Ephesians 5:19 - Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.

As you can see, there are many references to singing in the scriptures.  However, all of the verses I just listed have one thing in common - the songs are being sung to the Lord, praising Him for what He alone has done.

The importance of using songs to praise God can’t be stressed enough.  In fact, it is one of the only verbal ways mentioned in the Bible of offering up praise to Him.

So, judging from the Bible’s stress on praise, I believe that most of the songs we sing/listen to should be centered on praising God and giving Him glory.

Will it build me up?

Not all music, even if it is praising God, is suited for every occasion.  Some songs are simply meant to be sung when you’re sad, and some when you’re happy.  For example, if you’re all happy and excited about everything God’s doing in your life, I don’t think you should sing a slow, sad song such as “He dragged me up from the pit of despair, where I could never have escaped on my own”.  Don’t get me wrong - these sorts of songs are great if you’re feeling down and out, but sometimes they can dampen your spirits and even make you depressed.

Not only is not all music fit for every occasion, but some music just isn’t edifying for our spiritual walk.  For example, some songs these days are simply made up of “Hallelujah” or “Praise God” repeated over and over (and over).  These can sometimes be good, maybe when you don’t necessarily want to think deeply about profound lyrics, but most of the time we need something with more spiritual depth to encourage us.

This is one thing I don’t like about some contemporary Christian music.  Often times, the lyrics have almost nothing to do with Christianity, and if they do, it doesn’t add anything to my walk towards Christlikeness.

This all depends on what you personally find encouraging in your own life as a Christian.  If classical music helps you quiet your heart and focus your mind on God (Psalm 46:10), then that’s great for you.  If rock music can do the same for you - and yes, this is possible, I know from my own experience - then listening to it is perfectly fine (as long as you take into consideration the next question).  The thing that is important here is choosing music that will build you up, not just create “noise”.

Will it cause others to stumble?

This question is more of a music question as opposed to a content question.  Let’s face it - not everyone is attracted to hard rock music.  Then again, not everyone is attracted to classical music.  If you want to be the best example you can to someone, sometimes you need to meet them where they are.

If there’s a teenager in your school who likes to dance around with a radio booming rock music, you are more likely to make an impression on him if you show him some Christian artists on the harder side (Skillet, Pillar, and Disciple come to mind).

On the other hand, if there’s another kid in your school who listens to only classical music, you’d be more likely to open doors if you played him some of the old Christian hymns, or maybe artists like Chris Rice, Selah, and Shane & Shane.

The key here is balance.  Believe it or not, people can be turned away from Christ if the first people they hear talking about him are a scream-o band.  The same can go for classical music.  If someone hears an old hymn being played on the radio, they might feel like they can’t connect with Christians because they have no “good music”.  Music is an extremely important aspect of life, and we don’t want to overlook its power to influence.

Secular music

You’re most likely wondering - “does this mean that I can never listen to secular music?”  This is a hard question to answer, and opinions vary.  My personal view is that secular music, if the lyrics aren’t anti-Christian, can be fine to listen to.  Some songs can help you quiet down your mind, and others can have good lyrics with lessons to be learned.

However, your main music library should be one that praises and glorifies God.  Don’t praise anyone or anything other than Him, be it genre, song, or artist.  He is the One who created all things, and saved us from the depths of despair.  He should occupy your thoughts, actions, and yes, the music you listen to.