Why I need Rhianna to get out of my head . . .

So, I had a unsettling experience this afternoon as I was heading home for lunch.  I got in the car and The Rhianna song, "S&M' was on.  If you are not familiar with the song, those letters do in fact mean what you think they mean.  As such, regardless of the musical merits of the song (Rhianna does know how to write hit songs) I am not a big fan.  
But this is where the really disconcerting part came in - without realizing what I was doing, I started singing along.  I did not know that I knew the words to the song, but there I was, singing right with her.  Now to be fair, its not like its a complicated chorus and it is catchy, but still.   I was really pretty upset that I knew the song enough to sing along with it, as I really don't like the message of the song, so it got me thinking . . . 
I think I am going to be walking a little bit of a fine line with this post, so before I go any further I share two Scripture passages:


2 Corinthians 6:14
Don't become partners with those who reject God. How can you make a partnership out of right and wrong? That's not partnership; that's war. Is light best friends with dark? Does Christ go strolling with the Devil? Do trust and mistrust hold hands? Who would think of setting up pagan idols in God's holy Temple? But that is exactly what we are, each of us a temple in whom God lives. God himself put it this way: "I'll live in them, move into them; I'll be their God and they'll be my people. So leave the corruption and compromise; leave it for good," says God. "Don't link up with those who will pollute you. I want you all for myself. I'll be a Father to you; you'll be sons and daughters to me." The Word of the Master, God.


Matthew 15:10
He then called the crowd together and said, "Listen, and take this to heart. It's not what you swallow that pollutes your life, but what you vomit up."


I think, at first glance, these two verses might seem a little contradictory.  I don't really think so, though.  The Matthew passage, at its parallel in Mark have Jesus making it clear that it isn't what goes in your stomach (or for our purposes, what goes in your ears) is not what pollutes you or makes you unclean.  Instead,  Jesus says it is about what we do, not what we eat or drink or listen too (???) that is what matters.  
Now, I am certainly not going to argue with Jesus, and I don't even want to.  One of the things about my relationship with Jesus that I really appreciate is the freedom we have to be ourselves - and I think that definitely includes listening to what we like.  
But now to the 2Corinthians passage, particularly this part: "Don't link up with those who will pollute you. I want you all for myself. I'll be a Father to you; you'll be sons and daughters to me." The Word of the Master, God.   
What I think is important here is the fact that our thoughts are almost always the basis of our actions.  We do certain things on instinct or without thinking, but most of the time the things we choose to do are things that we have first thought about doing.  Jesus seems to think so too as he makes the point that thinking about adultery, or murder, etc. is the same - from the perspective of sin as doing those things.  
So if our thoughts matter, I guess what I am saying is that the things we allow to influence our thoughts matter too.  
And that is what brings us back to Rhianna - and, of course, this isn't about Rhianna at all but rather what we choose to listen to, watch or read.  If, without any conscious effort I have memorized 'S&M' by Rhianna, isn't it logical to assert that the song - and more importantly, the meaning and values of the song - had at least some influence on my thoughts.  
I want to be clear that I am not advocating only listening to Christian music and only watching and reading Christian shows or books.  
But what I am saying is that if we are serious about our relationship with God and if we are serious about trying to follow God's will and plan for our lives then we must take seriously the things that we allow to have voice in our hearts, minds and lives.  
What that looks like for each of us, I suspect, will be different - just as we are all different, but I think it is important for us to at least be thinking about and prayerfully considering what it is we listen to, read and watch.  
I for one am hoping I don't secretly know any more Rhianna . . . although I do really like the New P. Diddy one, but that is a blog for another day.  
God Bless.

Advent Conspiracy Devotional: Wednesday, December 15th

Scripture: Matthew 1:23
“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

Reflection: Jesus Christ is God’s perfect representation of love for us.  And Jesus is also the demonstration of the lengths that God will go to be in relationship with us.

            The message that Jesus’ presence and life have for us is clearly delineated in the name that the Angel tells Mary to give her son – Immanuel.  The first message that Jesus sends, before he spoke the sermon on the mount or performed any miracles is the message of his very presence with us.

            The story of Jesus is so familiar to us that we sometimes miss its uniqueness and importance.  God – the very maker of the universe [God whose power is such that the universe was created simply by God speaking it into existence] 

            Our God is not aloof and far away, but because of the desire for reconciliation and the restoration of relationship God chooses to come near to us, so that we may draw near to him.  God loves us and wants to be close to us.

Question: When have you felt that God was drawing near to you?

Is there a time you felt distant from God?   

Advent Conspiracy Devotional: Thursday, December 2nd

Scripture: Matthew 15:8-9

 ⁸ “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.   ⁹ They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.

Reflection: Sometimes I think it would be easier if there was a simple set of rules from God; do this and don’t do that.  Keep these commandments and you get to go to heaven, mess up and well . . . Of course there was a time when that was the case – and only one person every lived up to the call of the law, and that was Jesus Christ.  The same Jesus, who lived in perfection so that he would be the perfect sacrifice to atone for you and I. 

            Jesus did this, not so that we could have another chance at following the rules.  The rules are not the end goal with God.  Jesus wants our hearts.  Jesus tells the disciples & all that will listen that even following the rules is worthless unless that rule following comes from the heart. 

If the heart is focused on God following God’s rule will be a natural and organic outcome of the heart’s leading.

Question: Are you worshiping God with your heart or are you just following the rules?

What is competing with God for your hearts attention?