(Continued)
Even though we receive encouragement and hope from our time spent in praise and worship, the truth is that our singing (reason for worship) should always be directed towards God. Our intent is to give Him the glory, praise and thanksgiving for all that He has done and continues to do for us ... and not primarily for what we can get out of it.
This time spent with God is a personal experience. It's like writing a love letter or speaking to the one you love. You don't do it with anyone else in mind. You don't care about how you sound or what the person standing next to you thinks. You shouldn't be concerned about any expectations others may have because it's not meant for them, it's meant for the person you're addressing it to.
It's not about our performance, He's interested in our heart towards Him. (2 Corinthians 9:7, Matthew 15:8)
This is why it's so important to assess our motive for when we come before God in times of worship ... are we just saying empty words as we sing along or are we intentional about our words.
Again, coming back to the example of the love letter/song, the person receiving it would like to think that you mean what you're saying and not just writing/singing something because you "have" to. It must come from the heart. It must be sincere and genuine. We must do it as though He were standing right in front of us.
Even though we are instructed to worship God, it becomes so much more than that once we develop in our relationship with Him because we now want to worship Him. Our worship begins to flow naturally out of our hearts because it's more than just a formality or a procedure we have to follow, it's something we desire to do because we can't help but be grateful for all the times that He's shown us mercy, the patience He has with us, the faithfulness He so consistently has towards us, the hope, encouragement and grace we receive from Him, the purpose and belonging we find in Him ... and so much more.
God loves us so much, and the realization of this truth, causes us to just want to sing out and reciprocate that love back to Him in times of worship.
Amen