Christians don’t tell lies; they just go to church and sing them.
~A. W. Tozer
This quote came to mind a couple weeks ago as the congregation sang, “‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus.” As I looked around, I wondered how many were thinking about the words that were coming out of their mouths: “Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take Him at His Word.” My own thoughts were full of how sweet that truly is and yet how much I need to grow in the area of trust.
For many who have grown up in church, it is easy to sing songs because we have memorized them and yet the words elude us. How many times have you sung “Here I raise my Ebenezer” and had no idea what an “Ebenezer” is. (A name for a goblet perhaps?) I know there are exceptions to the rule, but I see way too many people singing lifelessly, and I expect that it is because the words are lifeless to them.
Our songs should be sung from the heart. Our worship must be honest. If you cannot sing honestly, don’t be afraid to stop and ponder the words or pray that God will help you to grow in an area.
There may be times you should sing in faith, “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,” but if you have not surrendered and are not willing to surrender all to Jesus, don’t sing, “I Surrender All.” God inhabits the praise of His people but, if that “praise” is done simply for show or merely out of rote, He will not bless it.
I do not want to discourage you from singing but I do want to inspire you to sing with your whole heart. Know what you are singing and let Him know that you mean it. You are not singing those words because you have to; you are singing because you want to, and you intend to live them. It’s possible that this simple act could be what it takes for revival to begin in our churches.
Christ Alone Wyoming 
1Sam 7:12 – Then Samuel took a stone and pitched it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name thereof, Eben-ezer, and he said, Hitherto hath the Lord holpen us.
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So many people profess to be Christian but never examine what they are learning to see if those things be true. this is the way of the Roman Catholic Church, it is not the way for Christians!
Songs are one the most ignored (lyrically) and abused elements in the church today.
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Simply profound, Sony. I too have often thought this same thing over the years as I’ve endured song after song boasting about “I will do this and do that.”
So many words have been uttered exclaiming what we will or are doing, yet so few actually doing it (myself included). When we sing “I will surrender all” but aren’t willing to surrended a dime or our time, what does that really make us?
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Thankfully, most of todays songs are simply “Jesus is my friend” or “La La La, La-la-la-la-lala”. No problem there!
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Just to stir the pot, how does singing a song differ from reading a Psalm out loud? I come up short on most any hymn or psalm or scriptural passage. If this makes us liars then all song leaders, pastors and teachers to some degree, are liars. These are things to which we aspire, but, does falling short make all of us hypocrites and liars.
I quite agree with the author that we should understand and believe what we are singing. I often either do not sing songs or I have to alter a few words because of bad theology.
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