Ephesians 5:19: “Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”
When you think about worship, what comes to mind? A choir, an organ, a guitar? Or the simple voices of Christians singing together? The real question isn’t, “What do I like?” but “What does God want?”
Paul answers in Ephesians 5:19: “Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”
Notice he doesn’t say “play” or “strum.” He says “sing.” The Greek word (ado) means to sing with the voice. When God wanted instruments in Old Testament worship, He commanded them (2 Chron. 29:25). In the New Testament, He commanded singing. Paul makes the “instrument” clear: the heart.
This shows us worship isn’t about what pleases us, but what honors God. If Noah had used cedar instead of gopher wood, would God have been pleased? No—because God had specified. In the same way, when God specifies singing, adding instruments changes what He asked for.
Jesus said, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). Worship in truth means worship on His terms.
History agrees. For centuries, Christians sang without instruments. Clement of Alexandria warned they belonged to pagan feasts, not the church. Augustine said the true instrument is the heart. Even the word a cappella means “in the style of the church.”
So why does it matter? Because worship is a gift for God. If your spouse asks for something simple and heartfelt, but you give something flashy instead, who are you really thinking about—you or them? The question in worship isn’t, “Do I like it?” but “Does God want it?”
Ephesians 5:19 makes it clear: God wants His people to sing, making melody in their hearts. This is worship that is simple, spiritual, and centered on Him. When we lift our voices this way, we offer the kind of praise the apostles knew, the early church practiced, and God still desires.
So, the next time you sing, remember—you’re holding the only instrument God ever asked for: the heart. Play it well, and He will be pleased.
