“Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19).
In most churches these days we have what we refer to as special music. A person or a group sings a song while the rest of the congregation listens. These groups have many different manifestations. There may be an ensemble of eight men singing a capella, a ladies trio singing with violin and piano, or a soloist accompanied by a pianist. The Bible does not have much to say about which of these may be the best. We certainly find a variety of instruments used in the Bible, and we also find the command, “Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD” (Psalm 150:6).
One thing we do find in Ephesians 5:19 is the command that we sing spiritual songs. There is some discussion about what kind of songs these are, but for the moment, I would like to focus on another thought. If someone is singing a spiritual song, that person would need to be spiritual in order to convey the message of the song completely. In our churches, we need to have the spiritual people participating in special music. Of course, I do not believe this requires perfection in the life of each singer. We are all nothing more than sinners saved by God’s marvelous grace. The truth is that no one in the church knows whether the singer is spiritual while singing other than the singer himself. As long as a musician appears to fit in with what the congregation feels is normal for the church’s platform and has a pleasant smile on his face, no one can tell whether that person is walking with God or not. Because a pastor is especially sensitive to the working of the Holy Spirit in the service, he might be able to tell. And those listening to us can usually sense sincerity. However, God knows if we are spiritual.
Since we must seek to be spiritual in order to sing spiritual songs, we ought to desire to walk closely with the Lord on a daily basis. In addition, we should have a burden for the people who will hear us sing to receive a blessing. If you are already fulfilling these expectations, let me encourage you to add something else to your prayer list. We should ask God to allow us to be a blessing to our pastor. Pray that God will speak to his heart during the song and further prepare him to deliver the message of the hour. Our special song should move our hearts as we sing, and it should cause the folks in the congregation to receive a blessing as well. But if our song does not stir the heart of the pastor, we are falling short of what needs to be accomplished.
Are you a spiritual singer? Let’s strive to please God with our music, and to be a blessing to both pastor and people alike as we sing for Him.
E-mail Brad Boruff
