Sing modestly. Do not bawl, so as to be heard above, or distinct from, the rest of the congregation, that you may not destroy the harmony; but strive to unite your voices together, so as to make one clear melodious sound.
I mentioned this briefly in the previous post, but it merits more discussion. Do you sing out so that others can hear you or are singing to God, joining in with the others in the congregation?
Jesus speaks of those who desire attention in Mark 12:38-40 (NKJV):
38 Then He said to them in His teaching, “Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, 39 the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, 40 who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”
Greater condemnation doesn’t really sound like a lot of fun. The King James refers to it as “great damnation” which doesn’t improve the prospect any. The Greek word krima means judgment, avenged, a sentence to be carried out.
How does this relate to worship through music in church? Let’s imagine that your voice is spectacular and you are well aware of this fact. If you are singing out loudly in order to distinguish yourself from others in the congregation, you are desiring to draw attention to yourself. You may be wanting the praise of those around you to confirm to yourself that you are a good singer, or you may be wanting to get the worship leader’s attention so that they ask you to be on the worship team. (I’ll be honest. I can’t hear you. Most times, I can barely hear myself.)
Suffice to say, you are attempting to draw attention to your singing, which grabs the focus away from who we are singing to. Jesus appears to look down upon those who do this. Are you willing to trade temporary attention that you receive now for judgment later? It’s a good thing to think about.
It’s important that you intentionally involve yourself in worship, but don’t try to make yourself stand out. Be part of the body, but don’t be one that’s screaming for attention.
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