Worshiping Your Feelings
Have you ever had one of those Sunday mornings where you just didn’t feel like singing? You know the kind I’m talking about. You had an exhausting week, your Bible reading was sketchy, and you had an argument with a family member on the way to church. You don’t feel close to God and you certainly don’t feel like singing. Then Mr. Smiley Man Worship Leader stands up at the front and encourages everyone to lift a “joyful song” to the Lord, and you want to walk up there and give him a swift slap in the face. Then the music starts, and you’re painfully aware that you really don’t feel like singing. I’ve been there. Maybe you’re in that place right now.
Let me encourage you to do something different this Sunday. When the singing starts, don’t let your first question be, How do I feel about what I’m singing? That’s the wrong place to start when it comes to worship. The first question should be, What is the truth about God?
For example, when you sing -
Before the throne of God above, I have a strong and perfect plea
- don’t start with an evaluation of your feelings. This truth you are singing has absolutely nothing to do with your feelings. If you’re a Christian you have a glorious savior, a mighty redeemer, and a strong and perfect plea in Jesus Christ. All your sins are washed away and you can approach God himself with complete confidence. You have a place reserved for you in heaven. And all this has absolutely nothing to do with how you feel!
Now I need to be careful here. Feelings are essential in worship. Worship without feeling doesn’t honor God. But feelings aren’t the starting place for worship. Glorious truth about God is the starting place for worship, and is what creates true feeling in our heart. As John Piper puts it in his book Desiring God, “The fuel of worship is a true vision of the greatness of God…”
So when the singing starts this Sunday, don’t immediately do an inward evaluation of how you feel at that moment. Rather, engage your mind with the glorious truths that you’re singing and ask God to give you a true vision of his greatness. Ask God to open your eyes to see his glory, and ask him to kindle deep, God-honoring emotion in your heart. Start with the truth and your feelings will follow.
+ photo by jorisjan
Posted in Worship
April 25th, 2008 at 8:09 am
great thoughts. thanks. there are so many Sundays when I don’t feel like getting up early to sing, but its great to remember that my confidence is in God, not in how I feel.
April 25th, 2008 at 10:38 am
Emily -
So true. My reason for singing has nothing to do with me and everything to do with God. I just need to remember that!
April 25th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
Definitely been there. I know intellectually that it’s not about feelings, but it can be hard on these days. Even worse when I am in the choir and up in front of the whole congregation assisting in leading worship.
Thanks for the article. That does help for those Sundays when things just don’t seem to be going right and I feel under attack more than normal.
April 25th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
Amen to that! I just recently listened to a Piper message, which put it like this: “Education for Exaltation”. Meaning we should understand the truth of who God is and what Christ has done before our worship comes.
Psalm 100 is the perfect example of the alternation between truth and worship.
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.”
Thanks for this great reminder Stephen!
April 25th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
Stephen - quit reading my thoughts and then blogging about them; it is really starting to scare me.
Seriously, nice post. Good thoughts to take into the weekend.
Happy birthday, BTW!
-tim
April 25th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
Peter - Thanks for your thoughts. I think it’s important that we make the distinction that it’s not all about feelings, but feelings are important. Worship doesn’t start with feelings, but it’s not devoid of feeling either. We start with truth, which in turn creates appropriate godly affections.
Matthew - Do you have a link for that message by chance?
Tim - Maybe there’s a strange connection between us across the country. Let’s hope not. I have enough Kurtz’s to deal with just on this side of the country (just kidding).
April 25th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
Hey Stephen,
Here is the link to the message:
http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/ScriptureIndex/1/92_Education_for_Exultation/
-Matt
April 25th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
I love that “Before the throne” song(!), especially this part:
“When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there”
April 26th, 2008 at 8:46 pm
Amen. Feelings are definitely not the place to start when it comes to worship. You hit the nail on the head! Our worship should center on God and not on our emotions. Good post.