“Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” -Ephesians 5:19-20
A.W. Tozer said, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us” (The Knowledge of the Holy). I would also like to suggest that what we speak to others and the melody within our hearts carries great importance. Considering these truths, its important to note that what we think of God directly fuels what we speak to others and the melody within our hearts; cause and effect.
Ephesians 5:19-20 tells us to speak to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, but it also tells us to sing and make melody in our own hearts to the Lord. As Spirit-filled believers, we are called to live melodious lives to God marked by praise, worship, and thanksgiving. Not only this, we are called to encourage fellow believers to do the same. But before we can rightly encourage others, we must first correctly posture our hearts.
What we say to ourselves is just as important as what we say to others. As stated above, what we think of God fuels what we speak to others and the melody within our hearts. Given this I must ask, what comes to your mind when you think of God? As a result, what melody is your heart tuned to? If our melodies are out of tune, how can we rightly encourage the melody of others to be one of praise, worship, and thanksgiving to God?
As believers, we were given the Holy Spirit at conversion, but we must ask God daily to fill us with the Holy Spirit. We possess the Holy Spirit, but we must make the choice whether we are going to abide in the Spirit, or abide in the flesh. Make it a daily priority to pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit and choose to abide in Him. For praise, worship, and thanksgiving come natural to the Spirit-filled believer. Why should praise, worship, and thanksgiving be our heart’s melody to God? Firstly, because God is Yahweh! He is self-generated, self-sufficient, and eternal! He is worthy of praise simply because of who He is. Yahweh sent His only Son to die the death we should have died and to pay the debt we should have paid; Jesus took our place! In addition to this, “you are saved from hell…enriched with gracious gifts…shielded from deadly ills…heaven awaits for you” (Spurgeon). Does your view of God mirror these truths?
Corporate worship is essential, but we must worship within our hearts and in the privacy of our lives; the moments we are in the car, at work, at home, etc.. Beware of only praising in public, for sincere praise begins in the heart (but note that it doesn’t exclusively stay there; it goes on to flow through every area of our lives). The Pharisees were known to engage in public worship just to be seen by others, which was condemned by Jesus in Matthew 6:5. Don’t be a Pharisee, friend.
Once our heart’s melody is tuned to praise, worship, and thanksgiving to our God, we can rightly encourage others to do the same. May we not only be hearers, but doers. May we live what we speak. May we not be Pharisees, but disciples who make disciples. The jubilation of worshipping in one accord is indescribable. To exalt and magnify the name of Jesus with fellow believers is a foretaste of heaven. For it is a command to worship corporately, but the full joy of this can only be experienced when your heart is continually postured to praise.
The words “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing” prompt me to tune my heart to sing His praise: “Come, thou Fount of every blessing; tune my heart to sing thy grace; streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise. Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above; praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it, mount of God’s unchanging love!”