Most people I know love music. We have favorite artists, bands, singers, and songs. We enjoy listening to other people perform music.
A lot of us bring that love into our faith. We have favorite Christian music artists, favorite worship bands, and favorite worship songs.
When it comes to attending a concert, a Sunday morning service, or a worship night, we love attending and experiencing these artists, singers, or songs.
But, despite those loves, we often consider it “worship” when we listen to someone else sing while we stand or sit silently. I’ll be honest - as someone who is not a confident singer, I find myself listening more than I sing. When I do sing, I don’t sing loudly! Maybe you can relate.
Now, worship is a heart posture and response to the character and faithfulness of God. So, let’s be clear. Whether someone is singing or not, worship can still be happening.
Recently, though, I’ve asked myself if I am worshiping or if I am merely watching someone else worship. Worship is not something we observe as spectators. Worship is something we enter into as participants.
As I look throughout the Bible, I find so many reminders about the importance of worshiping God through singing together; not only the very gifted ones upfront but everyone.
In Psalms 105, we are commanded to declare the goodness of God with singing. “Sing to him; yes, sing his praises. Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds.” In Acts 16, we see Paul and Silas singing in the middle of a troublesome night, which God used as a witness to others. "Around midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.“
In 1 Corinthians 14, we’re commanded to sing with our full mental engagement. “Well then, what shall I do? I will pray in the spirit, and I will also pray in words I understand. I will sing in the spirit, and I will also sing in words I understand.“ In Colossians 3, we were commanded to sing with real gratitude, not an external obligation. "Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts."
The picture we get from the Old Testament to the New Testament is that worshiping God with singing is something we’re all called to do, regardless of our level of confidence or competence. As Paul says in Ephesians 5, “be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.”
So, if you’re like me and you ever struggle with singing confidently, or if you ever find yourself observing someone else’s worship and having a hard time entering in yourself, then it’s important to acknowledge where you are. But, you don’t have to stay there. Here’s a great place to start moving in a new direction when it comes to singing.
1. Focus on the why behind your singing.
Gail Hyatt once said, “People lose their way when they lose their why.” What’s the “why” behind your worship? The “why” behind our worship, according to Scripture, is the amazing work of God. We worship because our hearts are full of gratitude. We worship in the good and the bad times, praying that God will work through us! When we focus on the why behind our singing, we are more likely to sing!
2. Tune out the opinions of the people who are not the audience of your worship.
Whether you’re leading others in singing or being led in singing, your audience is a lot smaller than you think. When it comes to worship, we all have an audience of one! A word to lead worshipers - remember that worship is measured based upon our audience in Heaven, not our “audience in the room.” To the rest of us who are singing within the congregation - the people around you hearing you sing are not your audience; tune out their opinions of your worship and tune into your eternal audience!
3. Reject the idea of performative worship.
No matter what the style of music is, we can hold back our singing because we feel like the way we sing is a lackluster performance. Reject that track of thinking and remember that our worship should not come from a desire to “perform.” Earlier, we read Paul’s words in Ephesians 5 about “making music for the Lord in your hearts.”
In his new song, “House of the Lord,” Phil Wickham reminds us, “There’s joy in the House of the Lord, and we won’t be quiet. We shout your praise!” Worshiping God involves singing and we cannot be quiet, even those people like me who are timid about singing loudly. If we don’t sing, we will miss the gift that comes in our relationship with Jesus on the other side of worship. We must sing because of what our God has done.
RELATED CONTENT: “House of the Lord” by Phil Whickham
Scott Savage is a pastor and a writer with the coolest last name ever. He leads Cornerstone Church in Prescott, Arizona. Scott is married to Dani and they are the parents of three “little savages.” He helps hurting people forgive others through his Free to Forgive course and you can read more of his writing at scottsavagelive.com
