What We Say and Sing

I had a recollection recently of a lesson I learned during a junior high Sunday school class. I remember our teacher, Gary, talking about one of the songs we would sing during the service. The song's lyrics talked about "going to the ends of the earth." He made the statement that he did not sing those lyrics because at that point in his life he wasn't willing to go to any possible place on the earth. He felt he shouldn't sing the words if he didn't not truly mean them. He did not want to be flippant with his words, especially before the Lord. As a youth I was struck by the honesty in the statement, and the more I have thought about it the more I agree. We need to be careful what words/statements come from our mouths.

I am reminded of Jephthah's words to the Lord in Judges 11:29-40 (paying particular attention to v. 30, 34-35). Jephthah vows to the Lord that if He gives over the Ammonites into his hand that when he returns home from battle he will give to the Lord as an offering whatever comes out to meet him. As it so happens it is his only daughter that comes out to meet him and Jephthah becomes distressed because he knows he can not break his vow to the Lord.

James 1:19 is often quoted to remind us to be quick to listen, but to be slow to speak and to become angry. Usually it seems we use this verse in the context of our relation to other people. We should listen to people, rather than be quick to give our opinion, our take about a situation. We should be careful not just to spout off at somebody because we may say things we would want to take back or that could be hurtful. But often I don't think we apply this verse to our relationship with the Lord, especially when it comes to the songs we sing and corporate worship.

We often will just sing the songs during a service, but give no thought to what we are actually saying. There are two problems this can bring about. First in songs that are talking about the glory and greatest of the Lord, what Christ has done for us, and the characteristics of Him, if we do not think about the words we are saying we can be just mouthing words without having a sincere heart that wants to give glory and praise to our Heavenly Father. We are just singing empty words as if we are speaking to a wall, rather than to the Lord. Secondly, in songs that talk about what we want to do for the Lord, we can end up speaking words that we don't mean and telling the Lord to send me here or do this in my life, etc... We can end up just speaking lies to the Lord because we don't want to do this or that for the Him, and we are like hypocrites because we have no intention of allowing the Lord to work in our lives to bring about a change of heart or have the faith to follow the path he is walking before us. This also makes me think that the songs we sing in corporate worship should be geared more toward to giving praise, glory, and honor to the Lord and about what He has done for us, as opposed what we are doing for him. I think it would help keep us thinking about how truly amazing and great the Lord is and hopefully keep us thinking about the words we are speaking.