Worship’s inevitable change on you.

It’s not about you, but worship can’t help but effect you.

Worship changes you. I know that worship is about Him. I’ve grown up singing “It’s all about you” time and time again to the tune of “Heart of Worship.” Our generation cannot help but be in debt to song writers like Matt Redman who reminded us what the heart of worship really is.

Here’s the dance. When worship is all about Jesus, we are changed. When worship is about us, we leave with a subpar experience and ultimately miss the point of it completely. Worship is an offering, it can take the form of giving money, time, singing in church, actions that hold gratitude or a simple awareness of Jesus in a moment. But in the midst of all of these actions, there must be an offering, something of cost.

When we give ourselves, we become like Him.

In Matthew 25:6–13 we get the story of a women who has poured out everything at Jesus’ feet. She has a large jar of very expensive perfume estimated to be about one years wage.

Think about how much money you make in a year. Now think about how much time it would take for you to save that much money. Despite the cost, the women doesn’t seem to hesitate in her offering.

A drunk man (I’m not kidding) once told me:

“When one person pour out the perfume, both people leave smelling the same”

Genius, I know. From a unexpected source to say the least. Remember, it’s this story that is attached to the gospel, going wherever the gospel goes. This women with the alabaster jar gives us a prophetic picture of what inevitability happens in worship. One person pours it out, two people leave smelling the same.

When we look at Him, we become like Him.

One of my favourite verses on worship, 2 Corinthians 3:16–18. When we contemplate the glory of the God, we are transformed into his likeness. The NASB says when we “behold as in a mirror,” when we set Jesus in front of us, we become like what we see, His same image.

When we hold up a mirror we see our own reflection. When we hold up Jesus in front of us, our likeness forms into his.

Final Thoughts

I understand the heart behind worship being “all about Jesus” because it is, without doubt. But maybe perhaps one of the litmus tests for worshiping in “spirit and truth” is that we are shaped by the very presence we adore.

My hope is to remove that unnecessary guilt of “receiving” in worship imposed by those hoping for “the most pure form” of worship. I get it, worship isn’t primarily about receiving. But when we enter His presence, how can ignore the invitation to receive from the one who gives life abundantly.

The people who I’ve met, who’s lives most resemble Jesus, have always learned these two things: they’ve learned to give their whole lives as an offering to Jesus, and they’ve learn to enjoy and long for the presence of Jesus.

How has worship changed you?