As someone who has lived in the “public eye” in different capacities over the years…I understand something about failure, hypocrisy, and imposter syndrome.
Lots there to unpack.
So…
Here is what I am getting at:
It’s easy to think less of ourselves…or that we have no right to lead others in worship…if we fail at worship ourselves.
I’m not talking about being a “bad musician” or anything or the sort.
No—I am talking about that visceral feeling of hypocrisy you experience when leading others in worship because you perceive yourself to be a failure at it.
Of course, being Christians, we have a worldview.
In that worldview, all human beings have a fundamental flaw called sin. Sin manifests itself in a variety of ways…but arguably, the root of all sin is pride.
Pride and haughtiness keep you from having a humble attitude and a teachable spirit.
These thoughts seem disjointed; let’s connect them:
You are not the lone person who struggles with failure to DO that which they are called to TEACH.
As a worship leader and/or musician, you are a teacher. You are tasked with demonstrating how to worship. Never thought of it that way before?
More:
To worship is simply to adore. Thus, the more we adore God in different aspects of our lives, the more we worship him.
This means that, by simply practicing the adoration of God often, you are “winning” at worship. In turn, you will have more confidence when leading others in the worship experience of God—you are simply bringing your adoration of God into the realm of music.
See that? See how simple that really is?
Many—myself included—struggle with this ethereal notion of worship that many hyper-contemporary church environments promote. Y’know, the whole “putting people in a trance” they do with transcendental repetition and such the like.
(Btw, not all music is created equally.)
Don’t buy into the lie that that is what defines worship.
It isn’t.
Practically, then:
- Practice worship by adoring God often.
- Think of reasons why you adore him in different contexts of your life: work, family, church, hobbies, etc.
- Channel your adoration through music on Sunday.
Don’t make worship hard. Even though we all fail, the remedy is simple: Adore God Often.
Steve Schramm
P.S. Worship By Numbers is a program we designed to help you radically transform your musical chops. You’ve never played music like this. Check out what I mean: www.WorshipByNumbers.com