The Podcast Generation

Happy April, friends!

I hope the month has been treating you well.

How was the last podcast you listened to/watched? What was it about? (I read your emails and I love them, so please add this as one of the reasons to email me, lol)

I want to listen to youuuuuu

Now, on a serious note.

While this post represents a pinch of opinion, I hope you see the heart of Christ in each letter.

There are over 6.5 million podcasts worldwide, with over 584 million listeners worldwide. This is quite a number. It also goes to show you how important the ear gate is. There is a high premium on it! But, dear friend, if we think in terms of the Christian journey, how many of these have pulled in souls to Christ? And among those that do, how many of us listen to them and share? And if we listen and share, do we weigh what they say according to the Word of God, or do we yield to the sensualisation of our time and take what the podcasters say as our daily devotion?

Now, I do not think everyone needs a microphone on their lips. I do not think everyone needs to open a podcast (or blog), and I do not think anyone's opinion should be held at a higher standard than the Word of God. I fear that in this generation, many podcasts place individual opinion higher than what the Bible says. Friends sometimes forward snippets from podcasts, and I lose strength 😫 because, snippet or not, some statements are plain unbiblical. Call it modern-day shindigs or culture, but the Word of the Lord calls some of the things that are said online as rebellion (even witchcraft if we decide to ride this horse). See here.

I am no hater! I have been invited and taken part in podcasts, and I love the gospel of Jesus (and tools for wholesome living) being spread through the airwaves! But at some point, we need to have regulation and moderation, no?

How was the last podcast you listened to/watched? What was it about?

Maybe you are thinking, "I only listen to godly podcasts, so I do not relate to much of what you are saying".

I hear you. I remember when I became intentional about my walk with God. I decided to only listen to godly content. I'd jump from one Christian YouTube video to another and from one Christian podcast to another. I would consume them like my daily bread, putting minimal time into the Word and prayer. My devotional time was lopsided, and despite consuming so many wise words (many biblical) from these podcasts, I wondered why I did not experience transformation and victory over many personal battles with sin. I realised that I was riding on people's faith. I had to get serious. Not just for me, but for all the people who were on the other side of my obedience and discipline.

I realised that the more I read the Word for myself and depended on the Holy Spirit to build me up in love of Christ, the less time I had for many things (podcasts and YouTube videos included). My discernment sharpened as well, and because I was more rooted in the Word, I could pick out sensationalisation from a Spirit-filled word.

I won't make this post about me, but the point I hope to pass is this: your everyday podcast (etc) experience needs to be a supplement to what God has been revealing to you in the secret place of prayer and devotion. Your attention to the content of the podcasts needs to be secondary to what God has instructed you about.

The Tides Have Changed

We are in a season of deception, and there is an overwhelming sense of flesh in the air. Right now, many will fall into the good and miss God. Many will be attracted by the optics, completely ignoring the red flags in the spirit. It is difficult to perceive the spirit in operation in a place, a podcast or anything if you do not hear the Holy Spirit. It is He who gives the ability to discern spirits. We now have AI-based channels on YouTube impersonating known ministers. And the interesting bit is that the views are in the tens and hundreds of thousands! We need to get ourselves collected, friends. The times have changed, and the enemy is not joking with our generation.

Just because a podcast has the name 'Christian', it does not mean that it is fully endorsed by Christ. For avoidance of any doubt, I have no example in mind as I type this. Gauge each listen based on Philippians 4:8. Does the podcast inspire you to push to the noble, the things that are just, pure, lovely, of good report, of virtue and praiseworthy? Do they inspire you to go back to scripture and pray more? Do they draw you deeper to your Bible and a loving walk with others? Do they entertain you more than they edify you? Do they convict you of hidden sin? Do they equip you for the work of Christ? Do these podcasts speak what is in the Word, or do they focus on the senses and personal experiences? Have you drawn closer to your God-ordained destiny since you began listening to said podcast(s)?

Balance

Again, I am no hater. I listen to podcasts once in a while. I love some! But we need to strike a fine balance between edification and entertainment, and distraction. If your listening to podcasts is getting in the way of you hearing God for yourself, take this blog post as a reminder that you can dial back and cater to your intimacy with God. You will notice a difference when you get back, most probably!

We can dethrone the god of the podcast age and enthrone the Lord once more. Through earnest devotion, jealous guarding of our time with Him and acknowledgment of His presence and power more than the beauty that the world presents to us. We can push for true fodly transformation in the midst of a heavily (and smartly) distracted generation.

May we tune in differently the next time our faves come on the mic.

With love,

J 🌹