There's something spiritual about music. It goes much deeper than just biology, culture and skill. Everyone sings—even people who aren't skillfully inclined towards it. One can even go as far as to say that God made us to be creatures that sing—and more importantly to declare His praises.
Colossians 3:16 gives us this command saying, "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."
Singing is not just commanded; it is something that we quickly adhere to. Singing songs to God is one thing that we Christians find easy to do—and what a privilege it is indeed to sing praises to God.
Music and the Things We Sing About
Singing has a lot to do with what melody does to us, but at a deeper level so do the words that we sing. I grew up with all the wrong kinds of musical influences. I ended up listening to a lot of catchy songs, but some with very deep, painful and hurting lyrics. I have to say that the effect they had on me was all too obvious.
There is something about the songs that we sing about that make them more alive than just words. They're not just words, they're declarations and those declarations have the potential to become a matter of life or death.
The spiritual discipline of singing praises to God matters because they declare into us the things of God and the character of God. The more we sing about God, the more of Him we take into our being and the more of His treasures we start to treasure. When we sing, we speak, prophesy, declare and impart the things of God to each other and to ourselves.
Music and Culture
It's no accident that music has such a huge role in culture both in the past and in the present. Music is timeless and constantly present. I believe that that is something that God ordained to happen.
Songs are also part of our kingdom culture. We sing songs of worship together to God on a regular basis. Not only that, but it is also our most ultimate destiny. Psalm 68:9 says, "All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name."
Singing matters to us not just because of the words that we sing, but also because of the way that they bring us together corporately. Music is a universal means of communication, and behind it is a God who created music. At the heart of it all, the spiritual practice of singing matters because it is of God, and the things of God are heavenly treasures that we are to partake in and participate in.
