Learning To Sing

Psalm 40:3 (NIV) 
He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him. 

Have you ever noticed there is a lot of singing in church? And there seems to be a lot in the Bible about it too? For those who are more musically inclined, this can be amazing. My wife, Steph, is like this. Music-based worship can feel incredibly natural and be an easy way to connect with God. However, for some of us (including me), it can feel less instinctive and actually quite weird. I’ve spent my life in Church, in and around sung worship, knowing its importance, knowing some of the incredible encounters with God I’ve had in these times of worship, and yet still there are days where I stand there and ask, 'what am I doing'? Currently, in this season of life, I find myself in this place often. I read a verse of scripture, like ours today, and it can feel overwhelming. 

I titled this devotional, ‘learning to sing’, but I’m not talking about lessons or grades. Learning to sing is about the choice of pressing into sung worship even when it feels less comfortable. Encountering Jesus is not based on how loud or energetic we are when we engage with worship. Neither is it how good of a singer we are. There is power in the freedom that comes when we release all self-consciousness, cynical thoughts and abandon ourselves to the adoration and devotion of Christ. 

Learning to sing is also about creativity in worship, a creativity that I have access to regardless of musical ability. The 'new song’ that David refers to is just as much for me as it is for Steph. Finally, learning to sing is the revelation that sung worship is not confined to the four walls of the church, but can be engaged with in any place, at any time. 

Prayer - Holy Spirit, help me to release all self-consciousness, cynical thoughts and comparison when it comes to engaging in sung worship.