Singing with Understanding

Do you ever find yourself singing along with an old familiar hymn, or perhaps even a new praise chorus, and you suddenly realize that you're just repeating well-known words without contemplating their meaning?  It's easy enough to fall into this habit.  For those of us who've been singing these hymns for many decades, the texts are so familiar that we can easily find ourselves singing them on autopilot.  When we unconsciously slip into that mode, we forfeit the blessing of reflecting on the wonderfully rich messages these songs convey.  We also miss out on the joyful experience of praising God with our whole being.  Jesus said that we're to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength.  As we actively engage our minds and consciously meditate on the texts of the hymns and choruses that we sing, our hearts more fully engage in worship.  I suspect that in part that's what Jesus referred to when He told the Samaritan woman that God seeks those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth.  The next time you sing along in a worship service, let the meaning of the texts resonate in your mind along with the beautiful melodies.  Let's joyfully sing His praises!