Gyms are interesting places. The equipment is interesting, the variety of people — and their workout routines — are interesting, and the music is interesting. I’ve used my share of the equipment, I’ve observed several very unique workout regimens, but I’ve only recently thought very seriously about the music. Most gyms play guitar-induced rock anthems that get the adrenaline flowing and keep you focused on your workout via their monotonous rhythm. The gym I go to is no exception. It’s odd in that downstairs in the locker rooms one hears all those gushy songs about love, life, and all that good stuff, but when you migrate upstairs to the weight systems, the mood quickly changes. Guitars start crunching, drums start throbbing, and the occasional scream is elicited from the pulsing speakers. Even though I can’t understand the words to most of the songs, there are a few that are intelligible enough to grasp something of a meaning from them. And it just so happens that those few songs are also some of the most catchy.
Some songs are just destined to be catchy. I don’t know what the formula is, but those exceptionally well-crafted pieces of music that conquer it can be mighty hard to get out of your head. Sometimes that’s a good thing, but all too often it isn’t. For a time I never really thought about the potential impact of the songs playing around me as I worked out, but when I would catch myself humming them later, I began to realize just how powerful the influence of a finely made song truly is. Some songs are so well produced that they can enter your mind and embed themselves to the point that you sing them without realizing it. However, therein lies a problem: just what are the songs we sing and listen to telling us? Are we ingesting truth, or are we gulping down lies? Be that as it may, songs are not the only area where this subconscious ingestion takes place. What about movies, TV shows, speeches, books, or information taught in a classroom? Just how often do we step back and take a look at the information that is flying at us and test it against Biblical truth? Just how often do we, as Christians, choose to think critically about the messages around us?
Critical thinking is not an easy task, but it needs to be a very integral part of every Christian’s life. 2 Corinthians 10:5 instructs us to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” While this truly is a tall order, it is of extreme importance if we are to lead our lives as obedient and effective Christians. If our minds are not in order, we can hardly expect our lives to be any better. Learning to take control of our thoughts in order to bring them under Christ’s control will drastically improve our focus and set our eyes more fixedly on Him. Test your thoughts about a particular situation, person, etc. Do they line up with Biblical truth? Test the music you listen to, the movies you watch, the literature you read. Are you allowing it to influence you negatively? Or, even worse, is it something that should be influencing you in the first place?
I have already written one post that provides a basic definition of critical thinking (LINK). This one isn’t written as a sequel to it, but more so as an accent mark. Critical thinking is a highly valuable pursuit that everyone — Christian or not — should cultivate in their lives. However, we will never reap the benefits without first implementing the process. I will be one of the first to say that I have a great deal of improvement to make in this area. Disciplining yourself to stop and analyze all the messages that bombard you every day is indeed a challenge, but, like so many other disciplines in the Christian life, it is a challenge worth pursuing.
Jarrett,
I can identify with what you said about your experience with the music in the gym, though my perspective is from the warm water pool downstairs. I used to swim in the 91 degree pool quite frequently. Most of the time, they played low-key music that was soothing to the atmosphere. Often the songs were what I call “oldies but moldies” from the 1950′s, 1960′s and/or 1970′s. It enhanced the warmth of the water and the purpose of that pool which was for rehab, cardiac therapy, and/or people with chronic pain who were there for relaxation and stress relief.
At one point, apparently to save money, they started piping in rock music that was very abrasive to the atmosphere. When I was told that was my only alternative, I would request that they shut off the music altogether. Better to have silence than the jarring sounds of the music played upstairs.
Finally some of us put in a request for a return to the former music for the warm water pool. Our request was granted, thank God! Music can even affect the atmosphere of a room or person or even a church service. It is that powerful!
Helen