ART is for your HEART: Singing
Sing Like Your Life Depends on It!
Sing like your very life depends on it. That is the conclusion of recent research done in the UK related to cancer patients and the testimony of King David himself. As it turns out, the health benefits confirm what the writers or Scripture have known all along. Singing is good for the soul, and this research offers more evidence that art is good for your heart.
Singing Will Never Cease
There will always be composers and singer-songwriters singing a new song, striving to capture an idea or feeling more perfectly, and we will always enjoy singing. I remember years ago hearing John Piper make the interesting point that evangelism will cease, apologetics will cease, and missions will cease, but worship will continue. Even our glorified bodies will enjoy singing. Does that make our current singing a dress rehearsal for the most glorious choir of all? Something to ponder.
You may sing on Broadway. You may sing in the shower. It doesn’t matter where. It’s good for your health. It is clear in the Bible that God designed you to sing praises, to sing aloud, to lift your voice, and to sing praises to God. But apparently, just as a nonbeliever will have a better life if they strive to obey the Ten Commandments, so singing in itself. is good for you.
Research on Cancer Patients Singing
For those who are interested in the people and data behind this project, take a look at this research. In the first research project by Tenovus cancer care
in the UK, they demonstrated that singing had positive impact on the lives of those tested, including increased quality of life, reduced depression and reduced anxiety scores. Research showed that singing can actually increase the body’s immune response and decrease hormones associated with stress and depression.
In a later study by Tenovus they funded Dr Daisy Fancourt, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, to carry out a new research project. This project was conducted in partnership between the Royal Marsden Hospital, Imperial College London and the Royal College of Music. The conclusion: Not just singing, but “being part of choirs” helped people with low mental health, depression, and anxiety.
Not All Singing is Equal
Lyrical quality and content are not equal. If we are singing lyrics about consumerism (Madonna’s “Material Girl”), it would be hard to believe there are long-term benefits related to such singing. If we are singing lyrics about revenge (The All-American Rejects, “Give You Hell”), it would also be hard to believe there are long-term benefits related to such singing, whether in the shower or on stage. The selfishness, the embracing of vengeance (which the Bible warns us about in Romans (12:19)), and the narcissism only lead our hearts and souls towards depression. I don’t need a researcher to tell me this, but the American Psychological Association (check it out HERE) conducted research in this field and concluded that violent songs increase aggressive thoughts and feelings.
So What Kind of Music?
One presumes that singing classical cantatas might be better for your soul than singing along to a death metal song in your car. Just as researchers promoted the “Mozart Effect,” claiming that classical music is better for infants to listen to as they develop. I’m sure there are many kinds of music that would stimulate and aid in development besides that by western European composers, but the benefits of music have been touted for years. A more poignant question is whether the lyrics and the singing are in the context of worship. This begs the question about the mental health of religious people.
Research on Religious People
As Christians, we view all of creation as a gift of God, and expect to see benefits of living life the way God designed us to live. With that in mind, I wondered if religious people are happier? Thankfully, The Pew Research Center conducted a study in 2019 showing that people of faith tend to be happier, and more optimistic. These are simplistic metrics, but they fit the Biblical model.
One wonders if we combined the benefits demonstrated for people of faith with the benefits of regular corporate singing…
What would we come up with? …wait for it….Worship!
Benefits of Worship
Worship and corporate singing in choirs or in the congregation are good for your soul. Turns out, the research affirms what Scripture has been teaching for thousands of years. Shocking, I know! It’s almost like God designed it this way, and modern researchers are just figuring this out. Proverbs 25:2 captures it so well: “It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out.” The only exegetical adjustment to this translation would be that kings and queens had all the resources for research in Solomon’s time. He never imagined the research capacity of scientific researchers today. But we get the idea: God conceals mysteries for us to discover.
More Benefits of Corporate Worship
The benefits of corporate worship may also be another reason why we should heed the exhortation of Hebrews 10:25, and resist the temptation to skip worship with our brothers and sisters in Christ. We need to sing, and we need to sing along with others as we proclaim with our voices the goodness of God, the beauty of His forgiveness, and the joy of our salvation. Kind David repeatedly proclaims the benefits of gathering for worship and of singing to God. It fed his soul in a powerful way, and as one who was described as “the man after God’s own heart,” we should heed his passion for corporate worship.
Considerations for the Watching World
Sometimes non-Christians will look at a worship service and ask me, why we do it. God doesn’t need our praises. He isn’t struggling with low self-esteem, sitting and waiting for our singing His praises to give Him a pick-me-up. On the contrary, (as the research demonstrates) we were made to worship, and worship feeds our souls. This is particularly true if we worship the very thing that is worthy of our worship. Romans 1 tells us, problems arise when we worship created things instead of the Creator. If we sing aloud and lift our praise to God, our soul is nourished. If we lift our hearts to an idol, our soul shrivels and weakens. Kind David didn’t need research. He knew this intuitively, in his soul.
Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy place?
The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god.
They will receive blessing from the Lord
and vindication from God their Savior.
Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek your face, God of Jacob.
– Psalm 24:3-6 (NIV)
The New Testament continues the theme:
Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly…singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs… (Colossians 3:16)
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart…
(Ephesians 5:18-19)
And what pushed away the despair for Paul and Silas when they were imprisoned?
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns.
(Acts 16:25).
Singing, the Arts, and the Research
Since the Reformation, many denominations have struggled to find a healthy view of art. For too long, Christians have had a low view of art. Such a view is unbiblical and unhealthy. God created a beautiful world, and invited us to engage with that beauty. He gave us an imagination and the skills to write songs, create plays, design architecture, and so much more. The arts are a gift of God, and valuable for us to enjoy. The broad community of Christians will never have the impact on society or their own community until we recognize this truth. Take a moment and consider the words of Martin Luther and John Calvin:
“There is no vehicle which displays the Glory of God and the Wonder of God as clearly as the arts. Art is the reflection of God’s creativity, an evidence that we are made in His image.”
– Martin Luther
“The poets are more correct who acknowledge that all which is suggested by nature comes from God; that all the arts emanate from Him, and therefore ought to be accounted divine inventions.”
– John Calvin
Are you an artist, a singer, or a creative professional? Be encouraged, and go create.
Are you a Christian struggling to understand the place of art in life? Welcome! Please check out our videos and articles, and leave any comments, questions, or concerns. Our passion is to equip all parts of the body of Christ.
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