When Worship Seems Pointless, and You Want a Mini-bagel…

It’s a Sunday morning- you wake up late, the weather isn’t ideal… your kids are already bickering, or the dog is begging to be let outside. You didn’t fall asleep until 1 am, tossing and turning because you couldn’t stop thinking about a deadline that you have coming up this week, and due to the grogginess of your current state, you can’t seem to find the light switch.

So you stumble into the kitchen, spilling yesterday’s coffee on the floor, eventually realizing that you have to leave for church in 20 minutes in the midst of all the chaos.

Finally, you pull up to church, miss out on the mini-bagels, walk into worship 10 minutes late, and upon hearing the first song, you remember how much you don’t care for it. So you stand in the crowd, arms crossed, tuned out, and seemingly unfazed. Worship ends, the message begins, and you find yourself on the other side of the 25-minute message tired, uninspired, and honestly, a little annoyed. But why? Maybe you can’t seem to put your finger on it, but you know something’s off with your heart.

We’ve all experienced this moment.

Where the journey to God’s presence feels like a coffee-stained, sleep-deprived, mini bagel-less uphill battle… and a disappointing one at that.

But what if I told you that more than worship was ever supposed to be left as a 20-minute singalong where not everyone is engaged and the morning feels slow, worship is actually a tool for our spiritual formation and growth. And like any tool in the toolbox, you have to learn how, when, where, and why you’re supposed to use it.

We live in a culture that feeds us so many lies about God; who He is, if He is really capable of rescuing us, and whether or not He is even worthy of our worship.

Worship by definition is not solely a song by Phil Wickham sung by normal people (sorry, Phil) - to worship something is to express our deepest reverence, devotion, and adoration for it. 

And it is really hard to worship something, or someone when you have a false understanding - or none at all - of who they really are.

If we’re too caught up in the hustle, bustle, and struggle of everyday life, it’s easy for us to forget who God is, and thus, we have no foundation for our worship.

Worship is preaching the Gospel to our souls … but how can we do this if we don’t know the Gospel?
Worship is a declaration to God of who He is … but what is there to declare if we don’t know Him?
Worship is not solely our emotions, but it shapes us to be people of truth … but when was the last time we spent reminding ourselves of the truth that has set us free?

I would argue that if you find yourself resonating with any of the scenarios I mentioned above- tired, uninspired, arms-crossed in worship, and unable to express and experience true gratitude- you probably need to take the time to first remind yourself of who God really is.

More than He is a person to answer to, a deity to ask for what we want, or a box to be checked for moral well-being, He is the Lord that,
‘I call on in my distress, and he answers me.’ (Psalm 120)

The scriptures are so pivotal in reminding ourselves of why we ever believed in Jesus in the first place. Without understanding the truth, we can’t truly know God. And if we don’t take the time to remember who God is, then we would have no reason or desire to worship Him for all that He has done.

Let us be encouraged today, that whether we find ourselves on month 5 of experiencing no ‘sparks’ in our worship, no revelations in our prayer, or no fire in our faith, that God has always stayed the same. He saved us in our distress, and when we call upon Him, He will answer. There is always more to learn about our God.

How can you practically remind yourself of the true character of God and what He has done in your life today?

Take some time to remember, and let His word encourage your heart.