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As one who works in a kitchen environment, one of the ways we pass the time is listening to music. This often entails listening to radio stations that play “modern” songs, that is, music from the last 5-10 years. What I have quickly discovered is that today’s popular music accurately reflects Pastor’s remark this last Sunday that the things which are “abnormal” are now regarded as “normal.”  No clearer is this seen than in modern music’s obsession with sex and relationships; with numerous lyricists (oftentimes explicitly) encouraging intimacy with one another outside of the marriage covenant.  

Indeed, this glorification of abnormal relationships extends well beyond the scope of music; a common plot-point in television shows and movies is that of a man or woman who has a “romantic interest” in another.  The tension of the story then arises through the character attempting to “woo” their love interest and whether they will be successful or not.  

In both of these examples, the underlying issue is that God’s design for marriage and relationships is not at the foundation.  The songwriters not only discourage God-ordained marriages (i.e. forsaking preeminent loyalty to father and mother for a spouse; one man covenanting to one woman; becoming “one flesh”), but they additionally promote that the honest trusting nature of intimacy (“naked and unashamed”) be shared with anyone and everyone; the scriptwriters suggest that modern ideals of relationships (“falling in love,” “chemistry,” “attractiveness”) are the foundation and not Genesis 2:24-25  

As a church family centered on God’s Word, we must strive to develop a culture that encourages faithful marriages as seen in Genesis 2:24-25, whether they have not started yet, are new, have been going for a long time, or have failed and are now nonexistent.  I personally fall into the “have not started yet” category, which makes the examples of music and movies/shows more real because they are actively telling me, “you must pursue a relationship with a significant other this way.”  To be honest, there are times where these messages are very tempting.  While I personally have a responsibility to “Renew my mind” in God’s Word daily (Romans 12:1-2), I have found that being around couples in the church who are seeking to follow God’s design for marriage also counteracts the world’s ideals.  

This is why it is so important to support God-honoring marriages, for it points us back to the truth of God’s Word.  We are all responsible for this together!