sing a new song

(taken from an email I am sent every week from MarriageToday Ministries www.marriagetoday.org)

Music has a shelf life that is pretty short. I have been reminded of this in the past year because I received an iPod for my birthday. Shortly thereafter, I purchased music for it. I listened to it when I worked out, as I sat on airplanes, drove in the car, etc.

After several weeks of listening to the same songs, I found myself tiring of them. So I downloaded more songs and began again to enjoy my iPod. But for the past year or so, I have found that it is a constant chore to find new music that I enjoy.

We are told several times in the Bible to sing to the Lord a new song (Psalm 33:3, 96:1, 98:1, 149:1; Isaiah 42:10). Evidently, music also has a shelf life related to God. He likes new songs as well.

But why? Why does God want us to sing a new song to Him? And why has He created us to tire of songs as quickly as we do?

Part of the answer has to do with the health of relationships. Our songs to Him are relational. When we sing songs to God, we are telling Him what He means to us and how much we admire Him. We are also thanking Him for His goodness and blessings.

Singing the same old song to God reveals that several dangerous elements are creeping into our relationship with Him. First of all, the issue of rote or thoughtless routine is a major danger. Rather than being dynamic and creative as we always are when a relationship is fresh and new, we just do the same old thing and expect it to keep its shine. Nope! It doesn't and it is a dangerous sign in a relationship that the energy is being diverted elsewhere.

The second danger of singing the same song for too long is that it means we aren't experiencing anything new in the Lord. A daily, intimate relationship with God is exciting. There are constant revelations into His heart and new experiences such as answered prayers and divine blessings that keep our songs flowing from a fresh spring rather than a stale cistern.

The third danger of old songs is that of taking God for granted. God's goodness is unsearchable. His glory is beyond comprehension. To sing the same old song means we simply aren't paying attention. We must be distracted and taking Him for granted, otherwise we would be singing a new song to Him based on the constantly unfolding revelations of His love and beauty.

How does all of this relate to marriage? Our marriages need new songs to keep them alive and growing. Just as in our relationship with God, singing the same song to our spouse means things have become rote—we aren't growing and we're taking each other for granted.

We need to find a new song to sing to our spouse. Romance means finding new ways to tell our spouses how much they mean to us, how attractive they are, and how much we value them.

My challenge to you is twofold: First, come up with a new song for your spouse. I'm not really talking about a melody, even though that would be fine. I'm talking about using some special expression that you have never used before to convey your love to them. By the way, notice their response and what happens to your relationship.

The second challenge is to keep changing the song regularly.

Don't let your relationship become stale as you keep saying and doing things that require no thought or effort. Find new ways to express what your spouse means to you. Stay thankful by constantly expressing your appreciation for the small and large things that are meaningful to you.

Understanding the shelf life of music is important. Keep singing new songs to the Lord and your spouse. It will keep the key relationships in your life growing and flowing with fresh love.

Blessings,



Jimmy Evans