I love to sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs (Ephesians 5.19). Perhaps you do too. I was blessed to grow up in an extended family that loved to sing. We sang at home, at family gatherings, in the car, when alone, and of course, at church assemblies. I was privileged to sing in choirs at a Christian high school, at a Christian college, and on church TV programs with area singers in Springfield, MO and Jonesboro, AR. Our family reunions always feature times to sing together. My wife and I began dating on a college chorus trip to Texas.
You might say singing is a part of my spiritual DNA. That’s because singing is God’s idea. And what an awesome idea it is!! And for Christians it doesn’t matter if you have the ability to sing well or not. There are no conditions or qualifiers or “ifs” regarding the quality of singing in the New Testament. I’ve often heard jokes from those whose singing abilities were lacking, but their love for singing was not. They loved to say that they were “making a joyful noise to the Lord” (Psalm 95.1; 98.4;100.1). That’s because whether singing sounds poor or great, singing can be for us one of God’s richest blessings.
Since singing is God’s idea, it’s not surprising that the Bible is full of references and instructions about it. After the exodus, Miriam sang (Exodus 15.21). Israel sang when God gave them water (Numbers 21.17). Deborah and Barak sang after a victory (Judges 5.1). Israel sang songs about King David (1 Samuel 21.11). And, of course, David and others composed numerous songs (Psalms 1 – 150). It’s fascinating that when Jehoshaphat’s army faced a fierce enemy, the king appointed singers to go before the army. When they began to sing and praise the Lord, the Lord set an ambush against their foes and defeated them (2 Chronicles 20). It’s amazing how many times the encouragement to sing appears in the writings of Isaiah and Jeremiah around the time of the Babylonian captivity. After the captivity, at the dedication of the rebuilt wall around Jerusalem, Nehemiah appointed two great choirs to give thanks; one went to the south and the other to the north. The joy of Jerusalem was heard far away (Nehemiah 12.31-43).
In the New Testament we have Mary bursting into a song while visiting Elizabeth (Luke 1). The last thing Jesus did with his disciples before heading to the Mount of Olives on the night of his betrayal was to sing a song (Matthew 26.30). Paul and Silas were in the inner prison with their feet in stocks in the city of Philippi, yet had the courage and strength to sing hymns to God at midnight (Acts 16.25). The Apostle Paul instructed the assembled church to both sing from the heart in praise to the Lord (Ephesians 5.19) and to teach and admonish each other through singing (Colossians 3.16).
From these examples it is clear that singing is one of God’s ways for us to connect with Him and His Son in praise, remembrance, petition, and humility:
• “Count your many blessings, see what God hath done”
• “Praise God from whom all blessings flow”
• “Be still and know that I am God”
• “Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!”
• “All hail the power of Jesus’ name”
• “When I survey the wondrous cross”
• “Father, hear the prayer we offer”
• “Have Thine own way Lord”
Singing is also one of God’s ways for us to connect with each other to encourage, teach, motivate and comfort:
• “Be not dismayed whate’er betide”
• “Because He lives I can face tomorrow”
• “Faith is the victory”
• “Safe in the arms of Jesus”
• “Nearer, still nearer”
• “Blessed assurance”
• “It is well with my soul”
• “I am resolved”
• “Trust and obey”
One more thought about singing. Yes, singing is God’s idea, but for you to get the most benefit from singing, you must participate with your heart, spirit and mind. Jesus stated God’s basic principle for acceptable worship, including singing, in John 4.24: “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship him in spirit and truth.” The Apostle Paul stated it more specifically to the church at Corinth: “I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also” (1 Corinthians 14.15b). I said earlier that I love to sing. Sometimes I sing just for the fun of it. I love four-part harmony. I love different styles of songs. I love learning new songs. I love singing with my family and friends. I love listening to others sing. I love singing alone. But mostly I have learned that there is a spiritual synergy at work when I combine my spirit, my heart and my mind together in song. I believe that this is another blessing from God that you can’t explain as well as you can experience.
Did you notice that there is nothing in the above verses about how well you sound when you sing? Of course we want our singing to be pleasing to the ear, but from the above verses, what God is wanting us to learn is to engage our spirits, hearts and minds when we sing. That means we are not singing just for the fun of it, nor singing because it is what we are supposed to do when we gather as a church. We are singing because we understand that the words are meaningful to our hearts and spirits. When we choose not to sing, or when we pay little attention to the words we are singing, we are robbing ourselves of some of God’s great blessings.
• Singing is a way to express gratitude for the blessings God gives us
• Singing can lift our spirits and bring joy to our hearts
• Singing can help strengthen our relationship with God
• Through singing we can find comfort and peace in difficult times
• Singing can connect us with each other, creating a sense of community and belonging.
Remember, singing is God’s idea.
Joe Chesser