A Closer Walk With God
The Joy Of Singing - Cont.
When done properly, singing can be a wonderful blessing; but how can we get the most out of singing?In order to get more out of our singing we must engage the "mind" as we sing. Remember, singing is "teaching and admonishing one another". This assumes that we understand what we sing. We must be careful that our enjoyment of singing is not like how many people enjoy their popular music (liking the music without necessarily understanding the words). Therefore, give careful attention to the words of the song.
We must also engage the "heart" as we sing. When we sing, we must do so "with grace in our hearts" - Co 3:16 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God." We must also be "making melody in your heart" - Ep 5:19 "addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart,". This assumes that we involve our emotions as we sing! To sing without emotion (without grace in our hearts) will be evident in our countenances! - Pro 15:13 "A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed." To sing without emotion is hypocritical, and condemned by Jesus! - Mt 15:7-8 "You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: "'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;". So as we sing, do so with both the emotions of the heart and the understanding of the mind.
In a further effort to assure that we experience the "joy of singing", consider some questions to evaluate your singing. Do you limit the sphere of your singing? Is your singing limited just to the public assemblies? Or do you utilize opportunities to sing at other times with others, or even alone? Singing, like prayer, ought to be spontaneous, arising whenever the circumstances call for it - Ac 16:25 "About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,"; Ps 34:1-3 "I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!"
Is there a lack of emotion in your singing? Remember, singing is to involve the heart. And not with just "some" heart, but as in all that we do for the Lord, with '"all" our hearts! - Mt 22:37 "And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." When it comes time to praise the Lord, it should not be done "halfheartedly". Remember Mt 15:7-9 "You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: "'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'" "It is a great sign of mediocrity to praise always moderately." - Vauvenargues. Not all may be talented in voice, but all can and should bless the Lord with their "whole being"! - Psa 103:1 "Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!
Do you understand what you are singing? Again, singing must also involve the mind. Some songs, though sounding beautiful, can be so complicated as to hinder understanding. The musical arrangement can be such that one spends more time concentrating on the notes rather than the words. The pace of the song can be so fast that we don't absorb the meaning of the words. The words used may be unusual and not understood by the average singer. Song leaders can perform a valuable service by being careful in the songs they select to lead. Carefully introducing songs that may be new to the congregation. Taking a moment to explain the meaning of the song or unusual words in it. But the ultimate responsibility falls on us who sing, so we should make every effort to understand what we are singing.
Do you stress musical harmony to the detriment of New Testament singing? Fortunately, God stresses making melody in our hearts over making harmony with our voices. In a natural desire to offer beautiful praise, do you discourage those who might not have trained voices but still love to praise God with their whole being? I have occasionally seen some Christians give a criticizing look at others who sang "off key". But the emphasis should be on praising God in heart and mind, and not how it may sound to the human ear!
Do you hinder your own singing by where you sit? Sitting alone or spread out naturally discourages many from singing as they might otherwise. People become more involved, are more uplifted, edify others better, when they sit together and close to the song leader. One of the first steps to better singing is to sit with others who love to sing!
Have we lost the joy of singing? I believe that if we could see ourselves as song leaders do, we might be constrained to say "yes"! But I hope that by reminding ourselves of the purpose of singing and how to get more out of it, we might rekindle this act of worship which can do so much for our walk with God! May David's attitude, a man after God's own heart, describe our own: "I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being." - Psa 104:33. " Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful." - Ps 147:1.
The following are some questions to stimulate your thinking.
Which is more important when we sing, how we sound or how we feel?
Are we really teaching and admonishing one another in song if we just whisper or mouth the words?
Do we sing because we are happy, or are we happy because we sing?
Do you sing praises to God by yourself throughout the week?
Does your family ever sing spiritual songs together (for example, while traveling in the car)?
Which is more unscriptural, singing with mechanical instruments, or singing without engaging the instrument of the heart?
