When I was a little girl, one of my favorite gifts my parents gave me was a record player. Yes, I know that dates me, but I’m okay with that, so hear me out. I was an only child for the first 6 years of my life, so I would love to go into my room and play records on that player. I would be in there for hours at a time. Never getting bored just totally in my zone listening to whatever current album my parents would let me listen to. At times, my Mom would pop her head in my room, just to make sure I was okay and she would find me playing and singing to my heart’s content. I remember literally wearing out the 45 rpm single record “Amen” by Larnelle Harris.
You see I have always had a love for music and most of all worship music. Worship music stirs my soul and it quickly will change my mood when I hear one of my many favorite songs. There is just something about singing songs to God that fills my heart and draws me to Him like nothing else can.
I recently started reading a book on worship and it has challenged me. It has challenged me to examine my heart. I’ve asked myself the questions,
“Is God pleased with my worship?
“Is God my source of worship?”
“Am I giving my absolute best, undivided heart and attention to God each time I worship?”
I am reminded of the song “The Heart of Worship” by Matt Redman. To be honest, this particular song does not fall into the category as ‘’one of my favorites,” but the lyrics truly convey my understanding of how important it is that we examine our heart with regards to worship:
King of endless worth
No one could express
How much You deserve
Though I’m weak and poor
All I have is Yours
Every single breath
I’ll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You’re looking into my heart
I’m coming back to the heart of worship
And it’s all about You,
It’s all about You, Jesus
I’m sorry, Lord, for the thing I’ve made it
And it’s all about You,
It’s all about You, Jesus
There have been times that I didn’t feel like worshiping God. I might not have liked the worship song we were singing. I will even go so far as to say I’ve had moments where my heart was not in a good place to worship God, but I realize that has to stop.
What I learned is that Matt Redman was right. Worship should have never been about me or my moments but focusing on who God is in my moments. Jesus tells us that true worshipers will worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). This means we both worship from the heart and also in truth the way God has designed it.
Genuine worship is not about me or my preferences. It’s about God and who He is over all creation. Even in our moments, that is the unchanging truth and because of this truth, we have every reason to give God what is due Him.
