"Stop Trying To Sing!" (1 Corinthians 26:13-14)

I enjoy my voice lessons but have struggled to rid myself of old habits. During nearly every lesson, my teacher will stop my singing, smile and say, “Stop trying to sing!”

As he has repeatedly pointed out to me, “Singing is like speaking but longer, stronger, higher, sometimes lower ...always better.” I am attempting to sing by singing, rather than speaking. In other words, I attempt to sing the way I think it should sound, rather than how it should sound. The end result is my singing sounds like a weak imitation of someone trying to sing.

There is a direct analogy to my spiritual walk with God. For many years, I attempted to live the Christian life by acting spiritual. I spoke and behaved the way I thought other Christians wanted me to behave. I was a Christian trying to act like a Christian, instead of being the man that God created me to be. The end result was a disingenuous Christian walk and a lie to God and myself.

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.

1 Corinthians 16:13-14 (ESV)

My life as a Christian needs to be rooted in Jesus Christ, standing firm in faith. Yes, it is important to have good role models and a behavior that is evidence of a godly character. But to a be a Christian man means much more. I needed to stop being a man that I thought others wanted me to be. I needed completely surrender my life to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He alone is the Supreme role model because He perfects and completes my faith.

...looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:2 (ESV)

I had to stop singing before I learned how to sing. I had to stop acting like a Christian before I could learn what it meant to be a true Christian.

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.