Dre Murray made a song called “Welcome to My Life,” featuring Alex Faith & Swoope, and in the song, you can hear Swoope say, “when CHH is a cheap pay date, that’s when the things that are for God, start keeping me from God, that ain’t what I want yo’, so I gotta keep on guard.”

There was a point in my life last spring where I was a CHH (Christian Hip-Hop) addict. I would go to CHH websites and download almost all the free songs and projects that they uploaded. I downloaded several hours worth of CHH ever week and barely listened to any of it. I had filled up my YouTube “Watch Later” playlist, which has a limit of 200 videos. I had a big problem with how I spent my time and where I looked for happiness.

I’ve decided to take a break from CHH. I love the music and the message, but as Swoope described, it can keep me from God when I make it an idol. The message often goes in one ear and out the other. I consider myself an avid listener of Christian Hip-Hop music. I like about 100 CHH artists, labels, and websites on Facebook. I follow about 150 CHH channels on YouTube. If I wanted to listen to every song uploaded every day to the YouTube channels I follow and the major Christian Hip-Hop websites, which would probably take a few hours out of each day. I want to hear new artists and give them a chance, but I have to draw the line. So, I’m taking a break from CHH and am going to see how it goes. “I’ll let go of family and friends, of any mean or end that keeps me from the presence of my God” was said by Sam Ock of AMP in their song “Evermore.”

I want to use it to get closer to God. I have removed the Facebook app and every music app from my phone. I will only use Facebook for social reasons, no news feed. I cleared my “Watch Later” playlist on YouTube, which had 12 hours worth of videos on it. I will stay off the CHH websites, with few exceptions, not listening to any new music that has been posted. I have deleted almost every song from my iPhone. I will only listen to music that’s on my iPod when I’m driving to school and back. I usually have the music app on my phone in the bottom left corner, but I moved the Bible app to that location. I would often open my music app and play a song when I got bored. I would always select and open the app in that location, like a natural reaction when I didn’t want to focus on my homework, except now it opens up the Word of God, which I’ve noticed is a good improvement (it can be frustrating too).

Would it be better to spend thirty minutes with God reading the Bible and praying or thirty minutes listening to the new Tedashii interview? Today, the day after I decided to do this, I spent almost an hour and a half of quiet time with God. It was good, and I would encourage others to join me in my endeavor.

Time spent on Christian Hip-Hop takes away from more important things in life, such as honoring (Exodus 20:12) and obeying (Colossians 3:20) my parents by doing my schoolwork instead of listening to music. It has caused me to mess up big time with obeying my parents. Recently I wanted to get an interview with a rapper at an event I attended. After it was over, I called my dad and he said 9:45 PM was my curfew (it was a school night). The rapper wouldn’t give me time until 9:45 PM, so I blatantly disobeyed my dad’s orders and took ten more minutes. He was furious and had good reason to be so.

The last and hardest month of high school is here, and my parents want me to study hard for my six AP Exams. All of my AP exams are going to be in four consecutive days. I’m supposed to be at school early for those exams. It’s going to be a stressful week. Pray for me and all the other high schoolers taking AP Exams that they will study for their exams and not go crazy. Senioritis is here, but I can’t let that take away from me honoring and obeying my parents by diligently studying for my exams instead of slacking off after having spent eight months preparing for them. So, I think I will continue to stay away from CHH until they are over. Music is a very good thing that I enjoy, but I need to order my priorities, and when I do, spending time online following Christian Hip-Hop isn’t among them.

Prayer…

Lord, I thank you that music exists that glorifies you and makes you known. I want to get closer to you above all things, because you are the fulfilling source of my joy. Please convict me to give up whatever You want me to in order to get closer to You.