Worship With More Than Song

Martin Luther is reported to have said, “God gave us five senses with which to worship Him and that it would be sheer ingratitude for us to use less.” God did not have to give us the ability to taste, if food was only to sustain life. He desires for us to experience his wonderful creative genius. “God richly supplies us with all things to enjoy” (I Timothy 6:17).  A God who is so bent on showing us his love through varied ways is to be worshiped in more than just songs. It would be foolish to believe that the song is the only way that we could worship. 
    
     *We worship God with our eyes by submitting them to his Lordship and resisting viewing things that are sinful.
     *We worship God with our taste by submitting to his Lordship and resisting being a glutton.
     *We worship God with our ears when we submit to his Lordship and resisting listening to gossip.
     *We worship God with our speech by submitting to his Lordship and resisting speaking deception and 
       falsehoods.
     *We worship God with our bodies by submitting to his Lordship and resisting using our bodies to sin.

Songs that have been written in worship to God are in a very small minority. In fact, these songs would be sadly almost nonexistent compared to the smallest minority of songs written by mankind. With this in mind, we are compelled to give honor to the one living God by singing and writing songs that declare who he is. This world does not know him. It is up to us to cry aloud his glory in song. The song is a tool that we must use wisely.

To sing of our intents and desires should not be to the exclusion of magnifying God. To maintain the power of a song, we must use it correctly. Take a look at the lyrics of the songs that are sung in church. Do they truly make God “large” in the congregation or do they wander around many topics without speaking about the great God we serve? 

Songs of worship are most powerful when they describe God's character, position, and attributes. Our lives are changed when we finally understand who God is and embrace him. How can the song be powerful if it does not celebrate the Holy, Creator God?

We may not always be singing when we worship but when we sing we should always be worshiping, even when the song does not speak directly to the Lord. Our tongues and lips are to be his instruments of mercy. We may be singing to one another through songs of encouragement, but we are still worshiping the one who created us by the service that we render to others. It has more to do with the position of our hearts (I Corinthians 14:26).  In this, God is honored and glorified.