by Gracie Compere, freelance writer in Dallas, Texas
January 2014 – Do you ever feel there’s too much on your plate and God has forgotten all about you? Don’t worry. You’re not the first to feel that way. Even the most positive people can lose their feelings of peace and joy when faced with mounting pressures from a demanding job, lack of quality family time, divisive politics and worldly temptations.
What’s going on here? Wasn’t joyful living part of the package when you became saved? The truth is most Christians have lost their peace, joy and sense of direction. With the world’s focus on success at all costs and empty values, it’s no wonder many Christians have lost their focus.
Author and speaker Al Menconi offers some answers to these troubling questions in his new book, The Christian Music Challenge, A 30-Day Journey to Keep Your Peace and Purpose in a Chaotic World. He says our negative choices may be undermining our relationship with Christ. His 30-day challenge is based on biblical principles that he taught at a Christian high school more than 30 years ago. He has been teaching these principles to more than a million people since he started his career in full-time ministry in 1982.
“We have known Al for many years,” said AFA president Tim Wildmon, “and we appreciate his great impact on our culture as he arms parents to restore biblical values to family entertainment choices.” Menconi shared his insights for AFA Journal.
AFA Journal: How did you come up with the idea for the Christian Music Challenge?
Al Menconi: When I first came to know Christ as my Lord and Savior, my roommate at the time said I was the last person he thought would become a Christian because my life was so messed up. Because I thought Christianity was following a list of do’s and don’ts, I told him I would prove my commitment by turning my back on my old life of sex, drugs and rock ’n roll. He laughed and said it wouldn’t last 30 days. I didn’t realize it then, but that was the first “Christian Music Challenge.” As I grew in my faith, I realized I was saved by grace, not by turning off my rock ’n roll and simply listening to Christian music. That’s a great place to start, but it’s just a beginning. I’m still growing. In fact, my roommate’s 30-day challenge has lasted more than 40 years.
AFAJ: You say Christian music is important to God. How do you know that’s true?
AM: There were four thousand full-time singers in Solomon’s Temple. That’s significant. And there are 31 direct commands from Scripture for believers to sing to the Lord. When God says something once, we should pay attention. When He says it twice, it should become a life principle. When He commands us 31 times in Scripture to sing, we can assume He wants godly music to be a way of life for us. As I did the research for writing The Christian Music Challenge, I was fascinated by how significant music is to God. I believe readers will enjoy and feel encouraged by the biblical stories and many testimonies about how music changed hearts.
AFAJ: In your book, you talk about empty philosophies of the world undermining our peace and purpose. Can you explain that?
AM: Scripture warns us in Colossians 2:8 not to let others spoil our faith and joy with their philosophies – wrong and shallow answers based on men’s thoughts and ideas instead of what Christ taught. Where do you find men’s (and women’s) thoughts and ideas that are against biblical values? Turn on your TV, music, video games and movies. If we continue to wallow in the empty philosophies of today’s entertainment, God says we will eventually spoil our faith and joy.
Further, it’s important for people to understand that Satan hates us. He would destroy us if God would let him. But even if Satan can’t destroy us, he can make us ineffective by getting us to believe his lies. As we evaluate the majority of entertainment offered to us each day, we will see that most of it is being developed by people whose worldview is against biblical values. They could undermine our faith in Christ and the joy of our salvation. As a result, we lose our effectiveness as Christians and fail to become ambassadors for His Kingdom. That’s a victory for Satan.
AFAJ: So are you saying if we entertain ourselves with worldly entertainment God gives us a failing grade in His eyes?
AM: Of course not! God doesn’t judge us based on our entertainment choices. However, our choices can hinder or help our relationship with Jesus Christ. God warns us to be careful about “entertaining” ourselves with empty philosophies because they could cause us to lose our focus, our peace and our joy.
AFAJ: The Teeter-Totter Principle is just one of many illustrations in your book. What’s that all about?
AM: A simple answer is that the majority of our decisions in life can be illustrated using the Teeter-Totter Principle, which is basically built like an old-fashioned teeter-totter. Think of the principle as being constructed with a simple board balanced on the fulcrum of Colossians 2:8. The basic philosophy from the Bible is on one side, and on the other is the basic philosophy from the Satanic bible. When you evaluate the philosophies of your entertainment choices and put them on the teeter–totter diagram, it will teeter to one side or totter to the other. It helps us see that C.S. Lewis was right when he said, “There is no neutral ground in the universe: every square inch, every split second, is claimed by God and counterclaimed by Satan.”
AFAJ: What key point do you want readers of your book to understand about the Christian Music Challenge?
AM: Basically, the Christian Music Challenge will help believers reject the “noise” of this world from their minds so they will be able to hear the voice of God. I’m afraid that most Christians have innocently inundated themselves with the empty values of this world and are unable to hear His still small voice.
AFAJ: How can a simple book promote spiritual renewal in our culture?
AM: When others see believers living as God intended, with their hearts in tune with His, they will desire that same peace and purpose. When the fruit of the Spirit radiates from our lives, others will ask us why we’re so different.
Our response to that question and sharing the love of Christ with them can literally change their lives. If we teach others, and they teach others, these life-changing principles, His peace and purpose will spread like a wildfire across our nation, potentially leading to a great spiritual revival. The world our children inherit from our generation can be a much better place. 
Al Menconi is founder of Al Menconi Ministries, author of several books, and a popular speaker at parenting and Christian school conferences nationwide. Order his book The Christian Music Challenge, A 30-Day Journey to Find Peace and Purpose in a Chaotic World in paperback or electronically for your Kindle or Nook. Sign up for a free 30-day devotional at TheChristianMusicChallenge.com. Email: [email protected]. His new book is endorsed by Michael W. Smith, Josh McDowell and other Christian leaders.
