A:

Incredulous, I glanced a second time at the email in my inbox. It read: “Congratulations! You have won a position in the chorus. The auditioning committee and conductor look forward to your contribution.”

I was stunned. I had not sung in a professional Bach chorus in twenty-five years. Only by God’s grace had I sung well at the audition, but I knew my work was cut out for me. I needed to brush up my German-pronunciation and sight-reading skills. Worse yet, I was vocally out of shape. I needed to vocalize daily and increase my breath capacity. What a challenge!

It’s easy to let muscles atrophy through disuse. Similarly, the soul can wither when we neglect using our “spiritual muscles.” Yet when we keep in tune, in time, and in trim with God, our divine conductor, He enables our souls to sing beautifully for His glory.

To keep my soul in shape, self-examination is critical. I try to answer these questions honestly and regularly before the Lord and make necessary adjustments with His enabling:

• Am I singing spiritually in tune by breathing deeply of the Holy Spirit, asking Him to fill me on a daily basis?
• Do I readily confess and abandon sins, habits, and distractions which quench the Spirit?
• Do I use my voice to praise and thank God in all circumstances, rather than sing “sour notes” of  complaint and criticism?
• Do I sing in time by following my Conductor’s lead?
• Do I obey Him immediately, or do I lag behind, living in the past with regrets or unfulfilled longings?
• Do I move ahead of God by desiring a future that He hasn’t assigned or constantly fearing what the future might hold?
• Do I observe God’s rests in my score, not wasting the waiting time, but preparing for the next “beat” in my calling?
• Do I trust Him to bring me in on cue, and then sing out fully and clearly when He strikes the downbeat, unafraid of what others might think?
• Do I sing in trim by keeping spiritually toned and “practiced up” through daily reading and applying God’s Word, reading excellent Christian literature, conversing intimately with God through prayer-journaling, and meditating on His goodness, love, and character throughout my day?

Above all, to stay in spiritual shape, I must sing with passion, overwhelmingly grateful that God”s Son, Jesus, died for me while I was still a sinner, and knowing that “The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation” (Ps. 118:14). My soul will never shrivel when I am humbly aware of the depth of gratitude I owe Jesus.

~ By Lynn D. Morrissey, Author & Speaker