As a worship leader, there’s nothing better than finishing a worship service where it seemed that everyone in the entire service was going “crazy” for Jesus.
You know what I mean: The worship service where everyone in the congregation is singing, jumping, lifting their hands, stage diving (okay, maybe not stage diving). The point I’m making is that when we walk off stage after a powerful worship service, we feel like the rock stars. We feel like the greatest worship leaders to have ever walked the Earth.
Okay, I may have went to the extreme here, but I’m just trying to make a point. If you’re right along side me, relating, and somewhat agreeing, there’s something that we have to admit to ourselves. And I’ll be honest, I kind of set you up for this one. Is it possible that we’re judging our worship services based on human reaction?
If there’s one thing I know about humans, it’s that we’re flawed. We can lie, fake emotions, and even fake worship. So why would we “rate” our worship services to a holy, perfect, and flawless King, on something so flawed? Especially, when there’s a much better option.
The same way that I would feel great after a worship service where it seemed people were really pressing into God, is the same way I would beat myself up after a service where it seemed like no one was worshiping. I felt as if it was it was my fault! I would ask myself questions like, “Did I not pray enough before?” “Did I sing bad?” “Did we not practice enough?” …etc.
Just imagine the weight that could be lifted off our shoulders if we realized that it’s not our job to move on people’s hearts. That’s because we can’t! Only God can move, change, and save people! No us! I want to convince you of the importance of following the Holy Spirit and not human reactions.
When we stop judging by human reaction, and we play a worship service where it seemed that no one was worshipping, we STILL have fulfillment and success in the Holy Spirit. This isn’t to belittle the importance of human outward expressions of worship. I firmly believe that it is important to express or love and worship to God.
I am however, trying to stress the importance of focusing on the Holy Spirit and not what it seems people are doing in the congregation.
You never know what God did in someone’s heart during that service. Through the eyes of the Holy Spirit, we’ll see that that service was exactly what God intended for it to be. Measure your service by the Holy Spirit’s standards, not human’s.
I also want to point out that if we beat ourselves up over a seemingly bad service, we’ll find ourselves taking credit for a seemingly great service. And believe me, stealing glory from God is not a place that you want to be in. That’s all I’ll say about that.
Follow the Holy Spirit and measure your worship service’s by His standards, not the reactions of people. People can fake emotions, and God can even work silently on their hearts. You will always find fulfillment in the Holy Spirit. It’s such a weight lifted off our shoulders to know that it’s not up to us to move on people’s hearts. Only God can do that.
I want to know your thoughts. Do you agree, disagree, or have questions? Let us know below in the comments!
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