Thank You For...

On Sunday we sang "Great Things (Worth It All)" which reminds us that God is always with us, and speaks a prayer of thanksgiving, even for hard times. It might be one of the hardest songs to sing honestly.

One way to categorize songs we sing is in terms of subject. Sometimes the songs sing about God: He is the subject. In these songs, we praise God by singing of God's attributes. One example would be "You Are Our Hope," which mostly sings about who God is and all He has done. These songs have the power to teach us who God is. For this reason, the lyrics must be examined closely to see if they are scripturally sound. Is Jesus a "comfort for weary sinners"? Matthew 11:28 tells us He is. Is Jesus "strength for the struggling saint"? 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 confirms this lyric.

Sometimes the songs sing to God: oftentimes we are the subject of these songs, not because we sing about ourselves, but because the lyrics express emotions, prayers, thoughts, intercessions, laments, and praises. An example would be "Great Things (Worth It All)." To sing, "You've done great things / Jesus, your love never fails me / my soul will sing, 'You have done great things'" is a powerful prayer of thanksgiving.

The trouble is, sometimes we're not in the place of thanksgiving. Singing "thank You for the scars I bear / They declare that You are my healer / How could I have seen your strength / If you'd never shown me my weakness" is difficult, especially if the scars are fresh. It's hard to thank God for the wilderness (a reference to the Israelites' time in the desert) when you still feel like you're there. Or we don't feel like praising God. Or we can't lament. What do we do when these songs don't reflect our hearts or emotions at that moment?

I think the best approach is to be honest with God. This week I was reading Mark 9:14-29, where a father asks Jesus to heal his demon-possessed son. The man says, "If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us." Jesus takes issue with the man's choice of words: "'If you can'? Everything is possible for one who believes." Then the man says something I find amazing: "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" It sounds to me like a big contradiction. How can the man believe and yet have unbelief?

Jesus does heal the man's son. And I believe He still heals us when we come to him with an open and honest heart. God doesn't want false words (see Isaiah 29:13), but He still wants our song. If you're not feeling a particular song is true for you, ask God to soften your heart as you sing: "I am thankful; help me overcome my unthankfulness!" Or "I do want to praise You; help me overcome my bitterness." Or "I do love You; help me overcome my complacency!" Make those songs that don't speak your heart perfectly into opportunities to be shaped by God.

In terms of planning songs, it's impossible for a gathering of followers of Christ to all feel the same way at any given moment, and so it's impossible to express everyone's heart with a handful of songs on a Sunday morning (and that's not the only purpose of singing songs in worship). We will always work to pick songs that resonate with the people of New Cov. But ultimately, your worship is your own, between you and God. Find ways to come to the feet of Jesus no matter your circumstance.