"Singing To Please Who?"

"O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation." Psalm 95:1 

It seems as though one of the biggest complaints I hear from Christians about church services is in regard to the songs that are sung. Some people like the choruses. Some like the hymns. I have noticed some churches only sing choruses and leave off the hymns because they feel they are "outdated". On the other hand, there are churches that sing nothing but hymns. A few sing both. 

 

I personally love both. The hymns give us doctrine, the choruses are more praise oriented. Naturally, we aren't all going to like the same style of music. (We are all different and unique individuals.)

 

Like I said earlier, we hear people say that they wish we would sing a certain style of music during church services. But when was the last time you heard anyone say, "What do You, Lord, want to hear?" When was the last time we asked Him what song would bring a smile to His face? Or what can we sing that will touch Your heart today? 

 

In our church services we call the "song time" worship. Well, who are we worshipping? Who is our worship to be directed toward? The congregation and what they want to hear? The worship leader and what they want to sing? The pastor and what his/her particular style is? Our worship is first and foremost to the Lord. It is about opening our mouth in song and what comes out should bless Him. The songs that come from our lips (the fruit of our lips) should be like the incense of a sacrifice that rises up before His throne. And as it does it should be a sweet-smelling fragrance in His nostrils. 

 

The song that God desires is one that comes from the spirit whether it is a chorus, a hymn or a spiritual song. God doesn't like one style over another. The words of our mouth-- even words that are sung-- should be pleasing to Him first above everything else or anyone else-- ourselves included. When choosing what to sing, we need to remember that it isn't for ourselves, or for one another, we are singing our worship for an audience of One-- the Lord God Himself. 

 

Have a great day. In our church services, when is the style of music that we sing going to stop being about us, and start being about the Lord and what He wants to hear? After all, isn't our worship supposed to be directed to Him?

 

For further reading:

Psalm 19:14; 96:1

Jeremiah 33:11

Hebrews 13:15