Recently after joining the Christian community on Instagram, I realised a pattern that was going on. There were some people who believed that a Christian shouldn’t listen to any secular music at all. I saw the same pattern in some of the Christians in the Discord servers I was in, and I was always curious why they thought so.

Back then, when I was still in a cult, I was taught similar things. I was told that when I participated in secular activities, it was harmful for my soul because it was of the world, and Christians are not of the world. I found myself forced to only do the things that were related to my faith, and as you can expect, it turned my faith into a chore after a while. If you want to know more about my time in the cult, please refer to the About section in my blog elsewhere.

But what I’m trying to convey right now is that the idea that all secular music is bad is a form of legalism. In the days of Jesus, the Pharisees lived by a strict set of do’s and don’ts, and they had the form of godliness while denying its power. Is it really demanded of Christians in this modern time to only listen to worship music?

I’ve never really been a smart person, but I think I am wise when I give my judgement on this matter. A Christian does not sin when he or she listens to secular music, neither is it necessarily bad for her soul. But a God-loving Christian should take care to notice which songs have lyrics that promote sinful ways of living or ideologies. A lot of modern songs have lyrics that are about fornication, drugs or money. Those are the songs you should stay away from.

The thing is, I think secular content has a place in our lives too. God has used the secular movies and songs in my life to teach me lessons, and it doesn’t matter if they aren’t explicitly Christian, God can use them like He has been using evil to carry out His good purposes because He can use anything. If you enjoy listening to Taylor Swift and it makes you happy, then why not listen to her music? In fact, I think the presence of some secular content in your life is good for your soul. Let me explain.

Participating in secular entertainment helps make you a better missionary. The lost are not drawn to religious practices, and you will catch them mostly consuming secular content. If you are familiar with secular content, it makes you more relatable to the unsaved. Paul himself tried to make himself like the Jews, that he may save some of them. That said, this is not a reason to neglect religious activities. Secular entertainment should not be your main focus even if it helps missions.

But my point is, forcing yourself to stick to the rule of no secular content is too strict. And I can tell you that it is not biblical.

Proverbs 25:16 (New International Version)

¹⁶ If you find honey, eat just enough—
    too much of it, and you will vomit.

I have spent some time with formal education in Psychology, and the law of diminishing returns is something that we learn. The more you do something, the less pleasure you get out of it. Have you ever participated in so many religious activities, that you feel like you’ve grown sick of it? This verse refers to this phenomenon. Too much of any one thing is bad for you, even religion. Sometimes, after an entire day of bible study, what you need is a break, and this is often where secular music can help because it refreshes you, and prepares you for another round of worship the next day.

So no, I don’t think secular music is bad. What I recommend staying away from are those songs that have sinful or worldly lyrics. But other than that, you have the right to explore and take pleasure in as much secular music you like. A diet of only worship music is legalistic, and it can end up causing you more harm than the good you want it to make.

I hope this helps.