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Whether it's a praise chorus or a hymn, an anthem or an amen, whenever God's people gather for a meeting, they nearly always sing.
Have you ever wondered why?
For the past few months, I've been pondering that very question. Does it really matter to God whether we sing or not? Are there other ways he wants us to praise Him when we gather? Does He even like the sound of our voices?
We live in a world filled with song and singers. It doesn't seem to matter what culture, class, or generation we're from - we love to sing. Did you ever notice how children are naturally drawn to singing? All my children, when they were infants, instinctively listened more intently to our songs than our words. (Maybe we should have sung our rules to them.)
Singing affects us in ways we can't always explain. I remember in the late 1970s hearing the song I Love You Lord by Laurie Klein for the first time. I had said the words, "I love you, Lord," hundreds of times before that moment. But as I sang them to that simple tune, my heart was drawn to love God in a way I hadn't experienced before.
Think of how different life would be without singing! There would be no Christmas carols, no lullabies, no opera, no country music. By now, some of you are probably starting to think it wouldn't be all bad ....
Now, I know there are some people who don't like to sing. A few years ago, a family visited our church service. When I asked how they liked it, the wife responded, "My husband won't come back."
" Why?" I asked.
"You sing too much, and he doesn't like to sing."
Maybe that's you. Maybe you don't enjoy singing. Maybe you have a "loud, squeaky voice" or a "low, rumbly voice." Maybe someone told you that you can't sing, and you believed them. Maybe you really can't sing!
None of these reasons should keep us from singing to God. Not only does He command our singing, but I believe the Bible teaches that God gave us singing to develop and deepen our relationship with Him.
Ronald Allen, in the book Worship: Rediscovering the Missing Jewel, writes:
"When a non-singer becomes a Christian, he or she becomes a singer. Not all are blessed with a finely tuned ear and a well modulated voice; so the sound may not be superb-it may even be out-of-tune and off-key. Remember: worship is a state of heart; musical sound is a state of art. Let's not confuse them."The critical question is not "Do you have a voice?" but "Do you have a song?"
I believe that, as Christians, every one of us has been given a song to sing. I trust that the series of articles we're now beginning will do two things - help clarify for you what that song sounds like, and equip you to sing that song with greater understanding and increased passion for your great God and Savior.
Until next time, may your zeal for God's glory motivate all you do.
Bob
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