We live in a broken world. This fact is becoming more and more obvious, and in many places, Christians are being treated with more and more hostility. To be alone in such a world, without others to encourage us and support us in our beliefs, is a quick way to fall away from God. One missed note, and you might lose the melody completely. We may not all play the same instrument, and we may not all play the same melody, but with Christ’s power, we can still harmonize together and make beautiful music.
As a pianist, I understand the desire to play solo. A piano is an orchestra in itself. I have ten fingers, so I can play ten notes at once. A cello can’t do that. A singer really can’t do that. I could boast about my self sufficiency and insist on only playing by myself all the time. I could say that I’d rather play by myself so that I can control every aspect of the music – the timing, the expression, the dynamics – and make it sound the way it should sound in my mind’s eye (or ear). I have played all by myself many, many times. Playing solo is appropriate at times.
But for my music to have any meaning, I need people to listen to me. I like practicing on my own and playing in my own house with no one to listen. But I would soon lose interest in it if I never got a chance to play in public, and to share my gift with others. Those times in my life when I was not involved in playing in church, such as when my children were very young, my practice time dwindled considerably. Of course, it dwindled because I had young children, but that was not the only reason. I had no purpose for practicing, so I didn’t.
The passage below talks about the gift of speaking in tongues, but it’s really talking about encouragement. It’s saying that it’s better to encourage the rest of the church than to just talk to God privately. It might be good for you, for a while, but God’s people are called to live together, in compassion, to support the body of Christ. Some people say they can worship God by themselves and have no need to go to a church. That’s like saying an eye can live on its own and not be part of a body. It’s not a mistake that Christians are called the body of Christ so many times in the New Testament! We need the flow of blood between us and everyone else. We need the support and structure of the rest of the body.
For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit. But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort. Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church. I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be edified.
1 Corinthians 14:2-5