Praise as God Intended

In New South Wales we remain under the COVID restriction of congregants refraining from singing during church services.  While the worship team was wrapping up the service with a song of praise to the LORD, I considered the words being sung.  Then suddenly I had a thought that never occurred to me before.

I recalled that when we were legally free to sing without restrictions, not everyone was pleased with their "singing voice."  This may also be reflected in the way people critically view their own bodies.  As happy we are to have a living, functional body there can be aspects of our appearance some might change:  people can criticise their body's shape, size, height or lack thereof, type or colour of hair, noticeable features they find embarrassing, scars and defects.  People think about their perfected, eternal state and look forward to having the "perfect body" or "pitch-perfect" voice with immaculate rhythm.  As I worshiped silently with the worship team yesterday, I'm not so sure.

Hasn't God made us to have voices and bodies according to His design?  Wouldn't it bring more glory to God if we retained our voices that sing off-key (which is not a sin, by the way!) because He created us unique as He desired?  Who ever said all the voices of angels sound exactly the same?  And what makes us think our bodies will resemble those pressed into a mold of our ideal body shape and size when God created us according to His good pleasure?  Gone will be the days of selfishness, self-consciousness and pride:  the eternal state in the presence of God will be a new era in living to please Him without criticising ourselves or envying others.

Do these thoughts disappoint you believer, that you may never have those ripped abs, be taller, more slim or have the "perfect" voice?  When we are born again by faith in Jesus the voices we now possess can be used to praise and honour God with exceeding joy--not because we are skilled at singing or can carry a tune or clap in time but because God is worthy to be praised.  Isn't God good to receive our praise such as it is today?  Why do you suppose He would ever refuse to joyfully hear your voice as He created it to be?