I suppose every Christian has memorized:
- Ephesians 5:19, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.
- Colossians 3:16, Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
We all know we are to sing as a past of the worship service, and to do so without the use of mechanical music. That is a given… I hope.
But, have we also memorized?
- James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
- I Peter 5:6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.
What do these two verses have to do with the first paragraph? Well, think about it. I have heard many say, “I don’t sing because my voice is bad,” or “I don’t sing because I can’t carry a tune,” or maybe even, “I don’t want to torture those in front of me.” Yes, I have actually heard all of these… excuses. They are excuses, not reasons.
Now look at:
- I John 2:16 For all that is in the world–the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life–is not of the Father but is of the world.
Pride is a common sin, also maybe known as “the pride of life.” I don’t think I know anyone who has never had pride as a sin. So think about it. God said sing. He never said you had to have a beautiful voice. He never said the song service had to sound like a professional choir. No! God said sing. Of course, we want to offer God our very best. No question there. But if my very best voice is a rough croak, and I am singing from the heart because I want to please God—not myself nor my fellow Christians—then my voice is pleasing to God. Isn’t that what really matters?
How else may pride interfere with serving God?
