Sometimes, you shouldn’t sing …

Scrolling through my Facebook timeline, this post stopped me:

“I want to sing but other patient is in deep sleep.”

The person posting this is a young lady being treated in a hospital for a very serious illness. Even in the midst of such a trying time, she was stirred to sing. She had the freedom to do so. But she noted the other patient in the room was sleeping and she understood singing would disturb her roommate’s rest.

Sometimes, you shouldn’t sing.

Some would say this young lady, with her health imperiled, should be able to sing if she wanted, if it would lift her spirits in her trying situation. But this patient understood that, although she had the freedom to sing, she took note of the need of the other person in the room, and understood even during life’s most difficult moments, life is still not all about ourselves.

The underlying biblical principle this young lady was demonstrating was this: “For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love,” Galatians 5:13.

There are times when we shouldn’t sing.

Even though singing is beautiful and can even cause our spirits to soar, we’re not always the only one in the room, in the house, in the car, in the office, in the church, in this world. And we do need to take note of their needs before freely doing whatever makes us happy, or as the Apostle Paul wrote, “… use your freedom to serve one another in love.”

Are you willing to sometimes reign in your own freedom for the best interests of others? Do you consider the needs of others around you, or do you do whatever you want without consideration of others? How can you better serve others in love?

Scotty