Shifting the Focus Worship Isn’t About Us

In contemporary Christian practice, worship is often perceived through a personal lens, focusing on individual experiences and emotional responses. However, a biblical understanding of worship calls us to shift our focus from ourselves to the glory and majesty of God.

The True Essence of Worship

Worship, at its core, is an act of ascribing worth to God, acknowledging His supreme authority, holiness, and love. It's a response to who God is and what He has done, rather than a means to fulfill our personal desires or emotional needs. As one worship leader reflects, "I had treated worship primarily as a 'special moment in a Christian meeting.' It typically happened after we had sung two or three songs. Suddenly, we would become more aware that God was with us."

Common Misconceptions

A prevalent misconception is that worship is primarily about eliciting a personal emotional experience. This perspective can lead to evaluating worship based on how it makes us feel, rather than on how it honors God. Such a subjective approach often reflects in comments people make about Christian gatherings, but it has little to do with biblical teaching on the matter.

Reorienting Our Worship

To align our worship with biblical principles, consider the following steps:

• Focus on God's Attributes: Center your worship on God's character His holiness, love, justice, and mercy. Let your songs, prayers, and reflections be filled with declarations of who God is.

• Engage with Scripture: Allow God's Word to shape your understanding of worship. Scripture provides numerous examples and exhortations on how to worship in spirit and truth.

• Cultivate Humility: Approach worship with a humble heart, recognizing that it's not about us but about exalting God. As John the Baptist declared, "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30).

• Participate in Corporate Worship: Join with others in the body of Christ to collectively honor God. Corporate worship reminds us that we are part of a larger community, all focusing on God's glory together.

• Seek God's Presence: Desire God's presence not for personal experience alone but to offer Him the praise He deserves. As Psalm 27:4 expresses, "One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple."

Conclusion

True worship transcends personal preferences and experiences, directing our hearts and minds toward the magnificence of God. By reorienting our focus from ourselves to Him, we fulfill the ultimate purpose of worship to glorify God and enjoy His presence forever.

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