Songs We Sing

Posted on January 25, 2019 by America's Keswick in Freedom Fighters

Are you telling the truth when you sing?

When I grew up in Sunday School many decades ago, we used to sing, “O be careful little eyes what you see…There’s a Savior up above looking down at you with love, O be careful little eyes what you see.” Then these stanzas, “O be careful little feet where you go”… “O be careful little tongue what you say”…etc.

Do we need a new version of that for Christian adults? “O be careful child of God what you sing”?

I’m not into contemporary Christian music nearly as much as I was in the hymns and choruses of yesteryear. But my wife and I do visit many churches when we travel to our kid’s and grandkid’s churches and when our own seasonal church is not functioning. I’m certain there must be some contemporary songs that touch on these subjects but, truthfully, I cannot think of one.

So for me and my generation of people who are supposed to be mature Christians and who bemoan the fact that we sing hymns so seldom anymore, let’s see how we stack up with what we sing (or used to sing).

“Take my life and let it be consecrated Lord to thee…Take my feet and let them be swift and beautiful for thee…Take my silver and my gold, not a mite would I withhold…Take my lips and let them move filled with messages from thee…Take myself and I will be ever only for thee.”

Did you practice what you preached (sang)?

“I’ll go where you want me to go, dear Lord…” Did you ever even go on your own to your neighbor just to witness?

“I love to tell the story of Jesus and his love.” Perhaps the question is not, do you love to tell the story, but do you ever tell the story? If you love it so much, how often do you do it?

“I Surrender All.” Really? All?

“I’d rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today.” How many people do you know who sang that and gave up Jesus for business, a mate, some form of entertainment, “higher education”, the culture, etc.?

And friends, we’ve only just begun with the things we sang/sing.

Many years ago I was in a meeting where Stephen Olford spoke on commitment. He closed the service by inviting the congregation to sing. “Take My Life and Let It Be.” Then he asked people to stand when we came to the point in the song where we sang what they were willing to give to Jesus…feet to go, silver and gold, lips and speech, etc. Quite frankly it was amazing to see how few stood!!!

Perhaps we should be thankful for contemporary songs because we’re not forced to stand and sing lies anymore!!!! (That was tongue in cheek!)

Do you really mean what you sing or it is just a nice tune with great words? Think about it!

Henry Giles said, “A song will outlive all sermons in memory.” If that is true, shouldn’t we be singing truthfully?

Written by Rev. Neil Fitchthorn Rev. Neil Fichthorn is a seasoned conference and camping servant having served at Gull Lake Bible Conference, Sandy Cove Ministries as President, and an interim Executive Director at Pinebrook Bible Conference. He also served in church music for decades as a choir director and arranger. He has been Bill Welte’s mentor and friend for over 45 years.

The Daily Bible Reading: Isaiah 9-10, Mark 3:20-35 | You can download our 2018 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “Worship is the submission of all our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness, the nourishment of the mind with His truth, the purifying of the imagination of His beauty, the opening of the heart to His love, the surrender of the will to His purpose.” – William Temple

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them. – Genesis 3:21