Worship: It's Not About Me

Worship has always been a fundamental part of a godly life. From Abel to Noah to Abraham to the Israelites and on, the Old Testament describes expressions of praise to God from His people (see Genesis 4:3-5; 8:20; 12:8; Exodus 15). Worship was important to early Christians, as well. The first disciples “continually devoted themselves” to it (Acts 2:42). The apostles spoke of its importance and even gave instructions to govern it (1 Corinthians 11:17f; 16:1-2; et. al.).

But these days, people are often heard to say, “I just don’t get much out of the worship services.” How do we address that problem? Maybe it will help if we consider what worship is all about.

It’s About God

By definition, God is the object of our worship. It isn’t that God needs our attention (Acts 17:24-25), but that He is worthy of our praise (Psalm 96). Worship expresses praise for God’s nature and character. It also expresses thankfulness and joy over His blessings (Colossians 3:16; James 5:13). Always, the motivation for worship is love and reverence for our Creator (see John 4:24).

Since God is the object of worship, it follows that what we do as worship should be defined not by what we want, but by what God wants. If we offer as worship what God has not authorized, how can we say that our worship is all about God? When I come to worship, it should be to give the praises of a reverent, thankful heart. Worship is not about what I get, but what I give: praise to God.

It’s About Others

God’s word teaches us to build one another up (Romans 14:19; 1 Thessalonians 5:11). The word translated “edify” or “build up” literally referred to building a house; the New Testament uses it as a metaphor for promoting spiritual growth in others. Worship is a vital means of doing this. While worship’s main purpose is to praise God, it has the added benefit of building people up in knowledge, faith, hope, and love (Hebrews 10:24-25; 1 Corinthians 14:26; Colossians 3:16).

God teaches me to seek the welfare of others before my own (Philippians 2:3-4). So when I come to worship, my thought should be how I can build up my brothers and sisters. Worship is not about what I get, but what I give: strength to my fellow saints.

It’s Not All About Me

Worship is about giving God the praise He deserves and giving my fellow-worshipers the strength they need. Remembering these purposes of worship should put an end to our quibbling and excuse-making about things like…

• Attendance. These commands and examples show that God requires us to worship. But Biblical worship is not just fulfilling a requirement; it is the outpouring of grateful hearts to God. If I reverence God and care about my brethren’s souls, I will be there. My personal want or convenience is not the issue. Like the psalmist of old, I will say, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord’” (Psalm 122:1).

• Dress. If I respect God, I will dress for worship in a respectful way. Enough said.

• Participation. If I honor God, I will join in praising Him in song, listen attentively to His word, join fervently in prayer, give cheerfully, and thoughtfully remember Christ’s death in the Supper. If I have regard for my brethren, I will teach and admonish them in song and do my part to help them stay focused on worship. Likewise, I will not do things that show disregard for God, or that distract, hinder, or discourage those who are worshiping with me.

When we gripe about getting nothing out of worship services, we’ve missed the point: worship is about giving, not getting!

Does this mean there is nothing in worship for me? Hardly. It means that, as with anything else in life, what I get out of worship depends on what I put into it. It's when I give of myself that I get the greatest blessings. But I must understand that what true worship does for me is not to appeal to my selfish interests.

A story is told about a hymn written by the great composer George Friedrich Handel. The king heard the hymn sung and complemented Handel on how much he enjoyed it. The composer humbly replied, “M’lord, I wrote it not for you to enjoy, but to make you better.” Perhaps this is the reason we don’t get more out of worship — because we think of it first as something we should enjoy rather than something that should make us better.

Through worship I am reminded of who God is — His greatness, His love, His compassion, His justice, His mercy. I am drawn closer to Him. Through worship I am strengthened by the other Christians around me. Through worship I am made better. How could I not enjoy that? How could I not get anything out of that?