A few weeks ago, I was in the Sunday morning service when the music leader asked everyone to lift their hands. I overheard a person seated near me that said, “I’m not doing that.
Worship starts in the heart, and I am sure that everybody has their own “way” of expressing outwardly the worship taking place in the heart, but the mouth often indicates what is actually going on in the heart.
What is an “attitude of worship”, and how do you know if you are “worshiping” or just going through the motions?
I think there are questions you can ask yourself to evaluate you quality of your attitude in worship.
What are you thinking about?
If you are thinking, “What are people thinking about me,” then you need to change your focus from you to the one you are supposed to be worshiping.
Maybe you’re concerned about how people perceive the quality of you voice, or that they may think you are “weird” if you lift your hands, close your eyes or clap your hands. Maybe you think you are a crooner and want everyone around you to hear it. Either way you look at it, if you are thinking about yourself or how you may look, then your worship attitude is off target. I know it’s a struggle, but try only thinking about God.
Am I caught up in the music?
I am a sucker for a good tune, and music can definitely help the mind and heart connect to God, but it can be just as much of a distraction. Listen to what you’re saying while you are singing. Do you mean it? Are you doing what the song says you are doing? Are they just words on a piece of paper or the wall or are they words written on your own heart? If you are singing a song as an expression of worship, make sure that you are reflecting the words in the song. If not, don’t sing it.
With God, words mean things. If you are singing it, to God, it is just like you are saying it. Many times when I sing, I will do one of three things if my heart doesn’t match the song
- I will change the words of the song.
- I will pray or sing in the my spirit.
- I will just listen.
Remember Jesus’ words, “True worshipers will worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). Keep your worship true.
How can I go deeper?
If you are comfortable with where you are in worship, maybe it’s time to take another step deeper.
You will never ever, ever, ever, ever reach a level of worship on this planet that you will see before the throne of God in eternity. Do not be afraid to dig deeper in your heart and express a little more outwardly.
Until you attain the level of a heart of worship that David reached and demonstrated when he was dancing and leaping before God and all Israel in the streets of Jerusalem unashamed in his underwear (2 Samuel 6), you still have room for improvement.
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