Kiki's Worship Blog

Bob Kauflin drives home the invaluable lesson that we're leading worship for God.  I know I struggle with the temptation of pride and looking for praise after a performance.  We worry about the student body's response to our music.  Did they like it?  How were the instruments?  The vocals?  Did we sound good?  The truth is, God does not call us to be popular, loved, or well-praised.  He wants us to be faithful worshippers.  We tend to reap what we sow.  If our focus as a band is self-centered, we'll reap shallow compliments and ungodly comparisons.  If we focus on God, we'll reap the fruit of people in awe of God's greatness.  All my worries about wanting to be liked for my musical ability are thrown out the window when I understand that ultimately the fruit of worship is pleasing the audience of One.

Our culture is obsessed with music.  Most of us need music to go throughout our day, need it to be playing in the background while we study, need it to listen to during car rides, or need it to fall asleep to.  Similarly, many church-goers believe that worship leaders are very important.  Sure, music is important, but Bob Kauflin teaches us that it is not as important than a good biblical teaching of scripture in a pastor's message.  There is no need to attach a biblical authority to the phrase "worship leader" or exaggerate its significance.  Worship does not have to involve music at all.  Yet, every week we "music ministers" have a great opportunity to encourage people to praise God.

I definitely have my own demons that I struggle with.  I've only been playing drumset seriously for like a couple months.  Even though I worked my butt off over the summer practicing, and practicing for two hours a day ever since school started, I still  don't think I'm good enough.  I'm going to make a fool out of myself in front of the school, I'm going to disappoint my drum teacher, I'm going to let down this awesome worship team... blah blah blah.  The fact that we're doing all of this for God above all else really resounded with me.  If I really love God (and like I totally do), then this music should come naturally.  People's opinions of me don't matter, even if I screw up.  God is the most important thing in my life, and everything else is second to Him.

We all fight our own demons.  Whether they're thoughts of not being good enough, not pleasing the audience, or messing up your music, our demons seem to breathe down our necks while stepping on that stage to worship.  Say the band pulls off a flawless performance, even nails every song, every time, week after week.  Does it even matter?  In part 1 of Worship Matters , Bob Kauflin tells us how to beat these demons, using our hearts, minds, hands, and the lives we choose to lead.  With our hearts, we often make the mistake of putting material things before God.  Idolatry may seem like a faraway concept, but we are all guilty of it at some point.  Idols that we cannot see, like power, popularity, and fame, are the most powerful of them all.  Putting these things before God can hurt us.  The gospel can set us free.   With our minds, we must read the bible and study the word in order for us to truly understand God.  You cannot love some...