Day #290 - Teach through Singing
The Presence - A Devotional for Living in Thanksgiving, Worship and Wonder
“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”
Colossians 3:16 NIV
Have you ever heard people say that we aren’t singing to one another but to God when we worship?
There are some funny church parody videos online with people singing about how great they are instead of how great God is. Worship music isn’t usually that self focused but sometimes worship can become more about us than Him, which is problematic at best and grieving to God at worst. We focus on the qualify of worship very often by if we liked the songs selected or the sound quality of the worship team.
It is definitely true that when we come together as the church we are not singing to each other in the sense that we worship each other. Again, we come primarily as priests to minister to the Lord. But part of our formation in the faith is to teach and admonish one another in our singing. I want to be very clear that worship should never lose the primary purpose of exalting God and ministering to His heart. But in this place of worship we are instructed to instruct one another through our singing to God.
When we come together to sing to God in psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit, we are teaching each other in “the Presence.” There is a part of our spiritual formation and discipleship that is shaped by “the Presence” in our singing that is not developed any other way. Of course we are to sing alone, but something happens when the company of the saints comes together and sings rich Biblical truths about Jesus Christ.
Its one thing to mentally know and understand specific truths about the Scripture, but its another thing to live in awe and wonder at these truths and apply them to your life in obedience. The corporate church is important for us to worship together as we minister to God but also for us shaped by what we sing. Of course its important that our songs are rooted in sound doctrine and in the Scriptures because what we sing will shape our spiritual affections.
As we allow the message of Christ to dwell in us richly and the message of Christ dwells richly in our songwriters, we get to have a powerful encounter with the living Jesus in our midst and have our minds renewed in His truth. Corporate encounters in worship are so important because they leave an imprint on our spiritual lives. The Lord loves the variety of psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit. We should sing old songs and new songs that are full of the truth and beauty of Jesus.
Lord Jesus, today I sing to You. Let the message of Christ dwell in me richly and let me not forsake coming together with the church corporately to sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. You are worthy Jesus! I love you and worship You! You will my heart with gratitude for all You are! In Your name, amen.
I love singing songs of praise to God and burst out in song frequently. Songs that we sing at church and songs that just bubble up within me, but I really enjoy when we come together and lift up our voices together in songs of praise to God. The intensity of His presence is so prevalent, so heavy, so beautiful and precious. Just try to imagine what it will be like when all of His Bride worships together as we sing His praises in heaven, singing the Song of Ages to the Lamb. 🎶🎵🎶🎵🙌🙌🙌