Making Music (Power of Marriages/Unity)

 

Each of us was created in a unique, special way. Each of us presents a different form of worship to God with our different personalities, desires, interests, and backgrounds. As we grow with God we begin to make a sweet melody to Him through our worship to Him. We soon find comfort zones with God where we feel near to Him… for some it is a specific type of routine of prayer/worship, for others it is more spontaneous… for some they feel closest to Him when they sing and play an instrument, while for others they feel closest to Him when they are having times of intercession and prayer. Some people are gifted at singing, others at proclaiming His Word, while others are gifted at discerning the heart of God or intercession. Through our obedience and faithful walk with God we all bring forth sweet melodies of worship to Him… our own tune, you could say.

When we get married, two melodies are suddenly combined. Playing an amazing classical music piano track with an amazing jazz music saxophone track does not make for beautiful music. At the same time, turning up the classical melody or the jazz melody doesn’t make it more beautiful either. Amplification does not translate to beauty. Two separate melodies played at once do not translate to beauty. What is beautiful is when the piano and the saxophone are able to adjust to each other and create harmony with one another. Then the music isn’t just louder or isn’t just constrained to one’s style, but becomes a new style that is so much more full and moving than the previous two separate tracks. Harmony is beautiful to the Lord, but it takes work. Jesus’ last prayer in the garden before he was betrayed was for harmony among believers (John 17). Harmony in worship between a married couple is extremely powerful.

Matthew 18:19-20 – Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.

The word “agree” in verse nineteen is “sumphoneo,” the word we get “symphony” from. It literally means, “to symphonize.” True power in prayer isn’t when people just submit to how one person thinks and goes with it, but instead is when there is a perfect agreement of the hearts, desires, wishes, and voices, of two more people praying to God (Clarke).

Learning to combine two styles of music, two different melodies, can be difficult early on. Often times one person will want to dominate with his or her melody and try and make the other person change their tune. This will only fracture the worship though and can actually snuff the fire and life out of the person being forced to change. Grace, creativity, patience, and effort are needed to adjust to one another and bring forth a strong, powerful harmony to the Lord.

When Sky and I first worshipped together after we married, we quickly realized we were singing at two different keys. My deeper voice was better in one key while her voice was more comfortable with another key. Separately we sounded pretty good, but together we sounded horrible. We had to laugh that first night. It didn’t get better right away, either. It has taken practice. The way we are comfortable praying is very different as well, so praying together wasn’t easy right away either. But all along I have always felt God saying our prayer times and worship times together are far more powerful than our times with God apart from each other. So we have continued to work at it, and it has gotten better and better.

This world is emphasizing independence… follow your heart, do your own thing, be yourself, etc. Divorce rates are increasing rapidly. A couple Sky and I gave pre-marital counseling to recently told us we were the FIRST couple to tell them that marriage is great. All their friends and co-workers had told them not to marry, or to wait until they are much older. All their married friends emphasized how you can’t do what you want anymore when you are married. All their friends wanted to keep living life at the same tune they were living as singles. None of them have realized yet the power of humility, yielding, and true love that together bring forth a new and more powerful tune in their marriages.

Heal this generation, Lord! Let the song of your people… marriages, families, churches, ministries… be a powerful and beautiful symphony unto You! Grant us patience as we learn to adjust to each other and really be one, as you prayed that we would be before You died for us. Amen!