"Does Your Worship Stink?"

"Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord." Ephesians 5:19

It concerns me about all the bickering, complaining and even division in the churches concerning the song service. One group in the church wants to sing hymns, another group wants to sing choruses, another wants to sing country gospel or rap or rock, or whatever other title the music is described by. Granted we all have our likes and dislikes and our preferences. There are certain forms of music that I prefer to sing and hear above others. But we are missing the whole point of what the song service is about.

We call the song service our "worship" time. But we have forgotten what that means. Our "worship/song service" is NOT about us. It is NOT about singing the songs I like or you like. It is NOT about staying updated and singing the songs that are most popular today. It is NOT about singing songs that will reach certain people groups. It IS about worshipping the Lord. Worship time is NOT for us- it IS for Him!

Our worship service is not intended to worship me- by singing my favorite- but to worship Him by singing what brings Him honor and makes His name famous. It is not about singing the songs that make me happy, but rather what will make Him "happy". It is not about stirring me up to worship by singing my favorite song, but it is about lifting Him up. It is about exalting Him- who He is and what He has done. It is part of our worship of Him in spirit and in truth. It is about declaring through song His greatness, His glory, His might and power-- and causing the focus to all be on Him.

Our worship in song is a spiritual sacrifice that we present to God. It sends up an aroma before Him. When the worship is about Him, it is a sweet smelling savor- an acceptable sacrifice, one that He is delighted to receive. When we make it about us, or when we complain about what is or isn't being sung, when we want to sing our favorites, then it ceases to be about Him and becomes about us and the smell that rises up to Him is a stench in His nostrils. (We would be better off not even offering a song of praise/worship to Him.)

Let me sum this up and simply say this-- worship is NOT about us, it is all about HIM. You may sing the songs you want to sing, but if it doesn't honor and glorify who He is, if it is sung with the wrong motive- because it is what you want to sing- then it isn't worship.

Have a great day. May we always remember that it is not about what we sing but to whom we sing.

For further reading:
Colossians 3:16
Acts 16:25
Amos 5:21-23
Judges 5:3
1 Chronicles 16:23-25
Psalm 149:1