Worship is one of the primary reasons why we exist. God made us for the reason that we would worship the name of Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit and give Him honour and glory. One of the best ways that we express worship is through songs.
Singing songs and playing musical instruments are not the only way we express worship. We express worship through the lives we live, through giving, through serving others and through other means. But music has long been staple in the expression of worship towards God. What is it about music that makes it such an effective tool in worshipping God? There can be many reasons depending on the culture, personal preference and time period, but here are three of the very common reasons why we sing songs to worship God.
God created music for Him and us to enjoy
God is the author of everything, and He made everything for His pleasure and for our pleasure as well. When God created the world and everything in it, He called it good because it gave Him pleasure. We give God pleasure when we worship Him.
Ephesians 5:18-19 tells us "And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart."
Music expresses the heart in a way plain words cannot
Have you ever felt so overwhelmed with emotion when you hear a song? According to Wired, music can catalyse the release of levels of dopamine in both the dorsal and ventral striatum, which are areas that are highly associated with pleasure, anticipation and catharsis. When we listen to worship songs, they help invoke emotion that brings us to a greater understanding of thoughts about God.
While worship is more than just emotion, feelings can give us a higher sense of knowledge of God. We can express more joy in God's love, more sorrow towards sin and more hope towards the gospel because of music. Psalms 9:2 says "I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High."
Music is a universal language that unites us
Not all people will understand certain languages and practices that Western Christians have, but everyone will understand the importance and effect music has on culture. Every culture in the world has made music a foundational element to their culture. That's because music is a universal language that we all share.
God is a God who desires unity, and music can bring us together in worship to God. One day, when we all face God together as one, we will come together united by music. As Philippians 2:10 says, "so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth."
