“O Lord, do good to those who are good, whose hearts are in tune with you.” Psalm 125:4

Imagine an orchestra where just one instrument is off-key. That dissonance alone would ruin the symphony. Dissonance hurts the ears. Like nails on a chalkboard it is repelling, causing us to squirm, cover our ears, and run for cover.

Our lives and our actions can add beauty to the world around us, like a melody that stirs our hearts and turns our sights heavenward. Or, if we choose, our lives can add dissonance, causing pain, hurt, and bringing consternation rather than encouragement and joy.

How do we live our lives in tune with the grace of our God? We can find that frequency a number of ways – through prayer, worship, delighting in God’s Word, singing Scripture, talking with friends about His love, sharing what we have with the poor, meditating, praying in the Holy Spirit, listening to His word… there are countless ways to build up our capacity for faith and holiness. Delighting ourselves in a God who delights in us gives us grace to tune into His frequency and to sing that frequency to all who will listen and be moved to sing along.

Father,

I am done with bringing more dissonance in this noisy world. I only want to add to the beauty of your song and no longer detract with unpleasantness. Here I give you my heart. Please transform it to your likeness – warm, soft, inviting, and kind. I give you my voice to hone and tune pitch perfect. Here are my intentions: make them holy. I give you the work of my hands; make it truly Good.

I love your song, Lord. Please help me sing it well.

Amen.