Lessons are learned by all sorts of methods. There is wisdom gained through the study of books as well as that which is acquired through living.
A printed sheet I have had posted in my office for a number of years (something I first saw on the wall of a colleague) reads. . .
I DO IT / YOU WATCH
I DO IT / YOU DO IT
YOU DO IT / I WATCH
YOU DO IT / I’LL DO SOMETHING ELSE
We teach by telling. We teach through demonstration and example. We teach by directing attention to proper resources available. And we learn when we are on the receiving end of such.
Teaching can also be conveyed in various tones depending upon what is necessary for the situation. Paul pointed to the Scriptures as having the ability to teach, reprove, correct, train in righteousness, and in this way equip for doing good works. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) And whether we are reading God’s Word individually, studying it together as a class, hearing it proclaimed from the pulpit, etc., our heart is to remain open to the lessons the Scriptures have been persevered to provide.
However, there is something else we do which is also intended to work similarly in our life. In his letter to Christians at Colossae, Paul urged. . .
“(16) Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” (Colossians 3:16 ESV)
The “teaching”, “admonishing”, and “singing” are all (according to the Greek) used as “present, active, participles.”. The importance of singing is in the messages being conveyed. The emphatic focus of heart, mind, and spirit (note 1 Corinthians 14:15) is to be on the words. It is the words which do the teaching and admonishing as we sing.
Not all of what we sing is directed solely toward God or our Lord as praise. Many of our hymns actually direct the message either toward one another or are to be reflected on within ourselves. Flipping through a hymn book we see the variety of focuses the heart is to center upon. What is to take place in our life when we sing such words as “Be not dismayed whate-er betide. God will take care of you”, “Take time to be holy”, or “There’s a great day coming” followed by the question, “Are you ready?”, etc.? As we sing we teach, encourage, and warn through admonishing to remain faithful to God’s calling. Some hymns remind us of what we need to be busy doing. Therefore, as we sing — as we begin making melody in our hearts to the Lord (Ephesians 5:19) — we are involved in the promotion of godly action in our day-to-day life.
I am a musician. I have been blessed with the talent to play a number of instruments. However, mechanical instruments cannot teach and admonish. It is the words transmitted from heart to heart which do this wondrous work. But we must also guard against an emphasis on the four-part harmony becoming a distraction away from the focus the words were intended to provide. The words of the hymns we sing will do their teaching and admonishing as the messages are conveyed and received by open hearts. Let us sing with the spirit and understanding, focusing on the messages being transmitted from heart to heart, as we also remember it is the melody of the heart to which our Lord is listening. We cannot go wrong by simply lifting our heart connected voices in this way.
Have a great day APPRECIATING THE POWER OF SONG!
Carl
