by Edna Kandiah Nee Wellington
(extracted from Wesley Tidings Jan 2017 edition)
The Christian life is meant to be a joyous experience. No matter how old or young we are, one of the most effective ways to show our inner joy is to carry a song upon our lips throughout our daily life. Singing is a ministry that belongs to the people of God. The congregation is always the primary choir in every church while musicians aid the people of God during worship.
Some frequent questions asked by people from time to time include the following:-
- Why do I sing about Jesus?
- What is it about worshiping through song that is so important to God?
- What are the types of songs that I should sing to honour the Lord?
There are biblical reasons that I would like to quote and cite from my personal readings about why singing is so important to an individual and church in the eyes of our Heavenly Father.
(Source: Smith, C. (2013, June, 6). Seven Biblical Reasons Why Singing Matters. Retrieved from http://unlockingthebible.org/why-singing-matters/)
When we sing, we obey the word of God
Colossians 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.”
Ephesians 5:18-19: “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart…”
When we sing, we dig deep roots in the Word
As we sing songs together, we are promised that the Word of Christ will dwell in us richly – which is what we should crave as believers. Colossians 3:16 clearly lays out for us that: Singing stands alongside of preaching as one of the two great ways that God has ordained for His Word to dwell RICHLY in each one of us!
When we sing, we build up others
When we sing together as a church family, we have the opportunity of hearing many testimonies of faith around us. We hear people sing and proclaim together, “My hope is found”, “Christ Liveth In Me”, “Praise Him”. Besides that, as we sing together as a church family, we are also helping unbelievers hear hundreds of testimonies. In Psalm 105:1-2, the Lord is calling the Israelites to be a light unto the nations, and to do this He tells them: “Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; tell of all his wondrous works!”
When we sing, we walk a God-designed pathway to joy
Some references from the book of Psalms about singing:
Psalms 9:2: “I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.”
Psalms 63:7: “For you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.”
Scripture, joy and singing are bound together. In God’s perfect design he has bound joy and singing together for His people.
Through singing as a family of God, people learn how to speak with God. Songs of worship help shape faith. It is, therefore, very important that a congregation have a rich “vocabulary of praise.” Types of songs that Christians should sing are “psalms, hymns and spiritual songs” Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16). Source: Carroll, J.S. (Ed.). (2013). How to Worship Jesus Christ: Experiencing His Manifest Presence. USA: Moody Publishers.
In conclusion, singing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs helps us glorify God in a special way. Singing has such a special way of bringing our heart, soul, mind, and strength together to focus completely on God. Therefore, we should be determined to live a singing spirit and be a truly “praising Christian”.
Write a comment: