Stop Being So Quiet!

 1 Corinthians 14: 15-17

What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest? For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.

In this passage, Paul is in the midst of a lesson about speaking in tongues and he is explaining that speaking in tongues within a church service serves both to edify the individual and to edify the entire body. He states emphatically that when he is in church, he will pray in tongues and in his known language, and he will sing both in tongues and his known language because both have value to the body. Then he asks a question. Let me put it in my words: “If you only praise God in tongues, how will the people around you in church say, ‘amen’ and be built up by your praise, even though you are giving thanks to God well?”

Wait! What??? I thought the people around me weren’t supposed to be listening to what I say to God! Why do they care what language I give thanks in?

Guess again! Paul made it abundantly clear that part of the goal of corporate worship is not just to praise God, but to do so in a way that other people around us CAN HEAR, because listening to others give thanks to God builds them up. Scripture commands us to praise God with singing, clapping, dancing, shouting, playing instruments, and much more. Praise is typically either visible or audible. 1 Corinthians 14:16 explains why – because praise should not only serve as an expression of our thanks to God, it should also encourage the people around us as they witness it.

I know some of us are naturally louder and some are quieter, but we need to stop being afraid for others to hear us! Stop being afraid to be demonstrative. Stop intentionally being so quiet! When you muffle your praise, you are depriving the body of strength! Don’t worry about if you are saying it just right – praise from your heart will not only please God, it will encourage everyone else around you.