Hey guys! I've been inspired by this post! (Go check it out before you read mine.)
It can often come across as if we bloggers are perfect, or at least better than we really are. So this post is an 'authenticity post.' I'm going to let you in to my life a little, and tell you a bit more about the real me (not that I've tried to distort who I am in the past!). I know this is a bit out of the ordinary, seeing as I try not to write all about me and my every-day life. But I think that, as an exception, it would be a good idea to show you some of who I really am. To give you kind of a more three-dimensional mind-picture of me.
{I give you my solemn word that I have not edited this post, apart from spelling corrections (and making sure you will actually get what I'm trying to say).}
I am Cassie, the girl who... writes all the posts on this blog (apart from guest posts, of course!).
I am Cassie, the girl who... accepted Jesus as Lord in October 2001, let Him truly ignited the desire to live His way in 2008 and had a spiritual growth-spurt in 2010.
I am Cassie, the girl who... lives in a 'large' family (by the world's standards), loves babies, books and baking.
I am Cassie, the girl who... hates sin, dislikes secular music and sleep in people's eyes. :D
I am Cassie, the girl who... desires to be a radiant, Christ-like servant, be used by the Lord and get married.
I am Cassie, the girl who... loves her friends, music, dancing, letters, worship, heart-to-hearts, forgiveness etc etc.
I am Cassie, the girl who... had a crush, but can see how mightily God has worked through that.
I am Cassie, the girl who... still sometimes gets side-tracked and distracted by romantic thoughts and handsome and Godly boys.
I am Cassie, the girl who... has not much of a clue about popular actors or singers. And who doesn't follow fashions.
I am Cassie, the girl who... is a modesty fan. My opinion: why wear something potentially immodest if there is a better option?
I am Cassie, the girl who... complains about bush-walks, but likes them anyway, wishes she could go to Europe and the U.S.A. and doesn't like computer games, DVDs, or rides that have too much tension or scariness... and that means not much at all!
I am Cassie, the girl who... loves accents, especially American ones!
I am Cassie, the girl who... was heart-broken when she moved city and cried gallons of tears, but can see the Lord's incredible faithfulness and love as a result.
I am Cassie, the girl who... loves lists and tidiness... unless it's Bibles, commentaries, concordances and journals scattered over her bed!
I am Cassie, the girl who... wishes she could be more active, but can't seem to get up the commitment to do regular exercise.
I am Cassie, the girl who... is not always kind, loving, joyful, obedient, selfless, gracious or gentle to everyone, especially her siblings.
I am Cassie, the girl who... does not always trust her Lord or obey Him.
I am Cassie, the girl who... is a LONG way from where she wants to eventually be in her character, has messed up big time and 'little' time, has been hurt and miserable, but who knows that Jesus is there the pick her up again and again. "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" (2 Corinthians 9:14)
Your fellow sister in Christ and imperfect human,
Cassie xoxoxo
P.S. Hey, in relation to my previous post, go check out this amazing post about boyfriends! Oh, and while you're there, check out some of the other post's on the blog. They're really neat. I especially like the 'From a Guy's Viewpoint' series!
This was beautiful ♥
ReplyDeleteI love your rawness and honesty...though I pretty much knew everything you wrote any way, guess it's what comes from knowing you your whole life! :)
This was really refreshing, I enjoyed it Cassie ( :
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Cassie. Just wondering why you dislike secular music, though. I think a lot of it is great. I never know who sings what (don't follow the trends) but like listening to most stuff I hear on the radio, except all the "I desperately love you even though I barely know you" type songs or the ones that bag people out.You are welcome to your opinion - just wondered about it.
ReplyDeleteFirst, I would like to thank and honour you for the way you posed this question. Gracious and careful. Thank you.
DeleteSecond, I will answer your question. I do know where you're coming from. I can understand why you like a lot of secular music. Often, the music is cool and the lyric can also be fine. However, while secular music can often hit on profound truth, it can never honour God. And that's why I much prefer to listen to Christian music.
Also, secular lyrics can be unhelpful. The worse are those "I desperately love you even though I hardly know you" and the ones that put others down (as you said), but others can be not so good as well. Romance songs can distract us from our Prince, songs with insecurity from our Strength and One who created and loves us, and songs with greed or selfishness from the Sufficient One who was the ultimate example of selflessness. And if they don't distract us, why have that kind of stuff in your head anyway? Why focus on that and not Jesus? That's why I don't like a lot of secular music I hear.
It's a matter of good, better, best I reckon. Why listen to something that may be unhelpful if you can listen to something more constructive? I know a lot of secular music is cool and funky and can often contain truth, but I also think that Satan can often use the "good" to distract us from the "best." Or you can put it this way: secular 'truth' is only part of the whole truth, and can never honour Truth or let Him build us up. But Christian music CAN honour the whole Truth and build us up!
Hope that answered your question.
Thanks, Cassie xoxoxo
Thanks for your response to my question. It challenged me a lot - particularly the bit about best vs the good. I have heard that so many times but seem to always forget it. So it got me thinking quite a bit about what you said.
DeleteHowever, I am wondering whether it is a bit black and white to assume Christian music is the best and secular is only good at best. For instance, some Christian music is pretty lame or just clashes on your ears (I know we each have our own tastes but I am not a big fan of rap - at least not at the volume it gets played in our house, LOL). Conversely, some secular songs can be thought-provoking or just inspiring. For instance, Mozart seems to have been a pretty immoral man but I think his music is just wonderful to listen to and I suspect God thinks so too. You said that only Christian music can honour the whole Truth - but I have heard it said that "all truth is God's truth". In other words, even non-believers and other religions can possess elements of the truth, and it all ultimately stems from God, since we are made in his image, even if we ignore him.
Also, do you apply the same principle to books and movies? Do you only read and watch Christian ones? You may disagree but I think I have learnt a lot of good lessons and certainly a lot of history by reading some great books which are not Christian. I'm thinking about "classics" like "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry" or "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" (it's actually not about witches at all in case you haven't read it) or even something like "Little House on the Prairie".
I'm really interested in your thoughts on this, 'cos as I said, you got me thinking a lot by your last response. That is what prompted my "objections/questions" that I've just raised. So, I hope you won't be offended by them but hopefully they will help us both to walk better with God, whether you change my thoughts or I change yours or a bit of both! :) Thanks.
Great response! And no, I'm not offended if someone raises a valid objection to something that I say. Sometimes, in fact, I wish I got more, because it challenges everyone involved to a higher level of thinking and inquiry. So don't worry, I'm not upset.
ReplyDeleteNow, you're right: many songs written by people who weren't/aren't Christians can be 'inspiring' or just lovely to listen to. And it's also true that we do all have a measure of truth within us, something that tells us that there's something more, that this isn't how it's meant to be, that some things are right and some things are wrong (whether we listen to it or not). And it's true that that can come out in many 'secular' songs. But I would still point out that they aren't acknowledging where that truth is from... or rather WHO it's from. So, I don't know: maybe, as a Christian who DOES know where that truth comes from, 'secular' songs that contain truth can point us to God. (I know that some of my good Christian friends say that some songs can.) But personally, I would much rather be safe than sorry. I prefer to listen to Christian songs that acknowledge Christ's truth, power and promises than secular songs that can only profess truth but not honour the one from which that truth stems.
As for music such as classical (Mozart, to use your example), I think that's different because it doesn't have lyrics. It IS nice to listen to, and I think it’s fine, mostly because of the absence of negative lyrics. Basically, pleasant music with no lyrics can't effect your mental or spiritual life negatively. So it's fine to listen to it, as long as you aren't, of course, actively dwelling on the [immoral] background of the artist. :D It’s also the same with ‘neutral’ songs; those that don’t address a subject like love or partying, but are more observations of nature etc. I think those can point us to God (certainly not hinder our relationship with Him) and are nice to listen to.
As a side-note, yes, Christian music can clash on the ears or be lame sometimes. But that's just a matter of picking Christian music that you like the sound of!
Another side-note: a lot of non-Christian song themes and views are implied, not directly spoken. We need to be aware of that too.
{Part 2 of my reply... blogger wouldn't let me post that many characters!}
ReplyDeleteMy goodness, you do have a very good point with books and movies! I do watch and read movies and books that aren't strictly Christian. For example, I've seen 'The Princess Bride' and various Disney movies. I've also read 'Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry,' 'The Witch of Blackbird Pond' and The Little House on the Prairie series. And I guess that does seem a little hypocritical or flip. I'm not sure why it seems different to me. Maybe it's just because much of those things don't affect my spiritual life. I know I have read/watched some things that have affected it negatively, mostly romance books and movies or those with a fair bit of dark murder etc. And I have learnt many things watching movies or reading books that are not strictly Christian. So yeh, I'm not sure why it's different from secular songs that speak truth. Maybe if I listened to more secular songs I would learn some lessons. But I’d prefer to learn those lessons in a different way I know almost certainly won’t affect my spiritual life negatively. And (in my experience) the movies and books that I would read/watch don’t.
But, on the other hand, I also avoid movies/books (and of course, songs) that I do know will pollute my mind and distract me from God. And while we can pick and discus about those that do contain truth, I think that we should absolutely avoid those books, movies and songs which will pollute or invade our minds and hearts, or distract us from God.
So the bottom line is (to me at least) to read, watch and listen to what will build us up, not tear us down. We should always seek to have our ‘entertainment life’ under God’s direction. If we are always seeking to follow Him in this area, it’s less likely that we will watch, listen to or read things that are harmful or distracting. Also (to quote my good friend Annie), “I know most of the time when I’m doing something wrong, and that’s where I’ve got to draw the line.”