I love to sing. That should come as no surprise to those who know me.
A lot of you love to sing, too. When I look around during worship on a Sunday morning, a lot of you are joining in with enthusiasm and singing joyfully.
Some don’t seem to enjoy singing, though. At least it appears they don’t since their lips aren’t moving. This observation begs the question: Should everyone sing, or just those who can do it well and enjoy it?
I believe God wants every Christian to sing when the church gathers to worship.
God’s people have always been commanded to sing, whether they could carry a tune in a bucket or not. In Psalm 100, we’re told “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.”
I used the King James Version to quote that passage because I like the idea of making a joyful noise. I know many Christians who were not blessed with the gift of singing, but they don’t let that stop them. They sing with joy to God, even if those around them may consider it to be noise. The point is, it doesn’t matter, because we are all to “come before his presence with singing.”
In Ephesians 5:18-20 Paul instructed Christians to, “be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
If you’ve been baptized, you already have the Spirit living in you. To be filled with the Spirit, though, Paul says you need to speak to one another with songs, you need to make music from your heart to the Lord, you need to give thanks to God.
Something about singing, about music, fills your soul with God’s Spirit as nothing else can. If you opt out when your fellow believers are lifting their voices to God, you’re missing out on something God wants you to have. I encourage you not to deny yourself that blessing!
Make a joyful noise to the Lord!!!