Sometimes, I be-bop along to the radio. I prefer my husband’s podcast or my own iTunes playlist, but sometimes the drive to the store is just too close to bother with any of that (I live 1.5 minutes from Wal-Mart). So the other day, I’m driving along and half-listening to the radio as I  hear myself mindlessly sing the following:

Living in a material world, and I am a material girl.

Now let me first say that I am one of those weird people who hears a song once and knows the majority of the lyrics, so don’t go thinking I’m some Madonna groupie. But I stopped myself and thought, “Did you really just say that?”

You’re a materialistic girl?! There’s a sentence I want to be brought before me on the Judgment Day (not!). But, it got me thinking: how many bad messages that don’t technically have “bad words” am I singing? Today I heard one of my favorite singers, Gavin DeGraw, sing “I’m not over you.” Well, those aren’t bad words necessarily, but who am I not over?! What would my husband say to that?! I doubt he’d be excited were those the true sentiments in my heart. And since they’re not, why am I saying them?

Jesus said, “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.” Just because I don’t think about it or it’s not true doesn’t mean I won’t be held responsible for letting it infiltrate my heart and escape my lips.

Today, just be careful what you sing. Would you really say those things in real life? Do you mean the things you’re saying? Would the words you’re singing hurt your spouse? If any of these answers aren’t what they should be, turn the radio off! Plug in a podcast (might I suggest The Light Network?) or pray for the 2-3 minutes it takes you to get where you’re going. Do whatever is necessary to guard your tongue, knowing those seemingly innocent songs will come back to judge you one day.