One evening I heard my kids fighting about something. They were calling each other names like, “You Meanie!”, etc. I called for a time-out and we all sat down to talk about it. I said to my daughter, “Listen, if I told your brother to tell you to do something right after you called him bad names, would you do it?” She had calmed down by then and answered me honestly, “No.” I asked the same of my sons and they too answered, “No.” But then I asked them if they would obey their sibling after they had said all kinds of good things about them, and they all said, “Yes.”
There was so much truth in that short intervention. Obedience is why we go to Church, read the Bible, and worship. Communion, prayer, all the practices and disciplines of the Faith like fasting and offerings are centered on it.
Over the years I’ve heard all kinds of debates over worship music. I’ve also heard many recent thoughts currently dominating the scene of how we corporately interact with God: “Calling down heaven”, “Seeking His presence”, etc. These seem like good things to me, but along with just singing a tune, it has very little to do with obedience. Should we then save worship singing for only those who are perfect? It would be a solemn service practicing the sacrament of silence if we did.
It seems more fruitful to me to corporately and individually speak good things about God no matter the circumstances. It all lines us up for obedience when no other eyes are watching but His.
So no matter the style: one word over and over or doctrine loaded hymns, as long as it is a good Name we are calling Him by, may it lead us to obedience. Let us lay it down before His throne and use it to help us carry our crosses till we see Him face to face.
Psalm 40:1-17
Luke 14:1-34