Poor Worship Habits

""I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the Lord'"" (Ps. 122:1).

""There's nothing in it for me.""

Those are two views of worship services, and they are as incompatible as cats and dogs. Poor worship habits can cause a Christian's faith to disappear as quickly as almost any other subject in this issue. While it would be easy to examine a list of poor habits such as sporadic attendance, habitual tardiness, lack of focus, lack of interest or poor preparation, it is probably more germane to examine what causes a Christian to develop these habits in the first place, because, in truth, they are usually only symptoms of a much bigger problem.

""God isn't real."" While we would be hard pressed to find one who claims to be a Christian, yet admits to not believing God is real, actions sometimes speak louder than words. Sometimes, we have allowed ourselves to place God so far removed from our daily lives that we tend not to think of Him. If our vision of God is one that is locked in the church building, never concerned with the actual day to day living of His children, it is no wonder that we allow our worship to become rote, characterized more by our physical presence than our spiritual. If you worship a god who can't move beyond the walls of a church building, then you worship a god who cannot help you overcome temptation everyday, who cannot offer you pardon when you sin and who cannot win the battle against evil. But our God is real, and He can accomplish all those things. What is the solution for one who has lost sight of the real God?

First, realize that your view of God did not change overnight, and there is no overnight solution either. You must begin again to build your faith. Try reading passages of deliverance from the scriptures (Ex. 14; Josh. 10; 1 Sam. 17; Acts 16) to remind you of God's work on behalf of His people. Read the gospel accounts of the crucifixion to remind you of the sacrifice of Jesus by which you are forgiven. Talk to someone who seems excited about worship to see what tips they can offer for staying focused. Second, return to your God in prayer and ask for His help in overcoming this fault. His assistance in this matter may help to renew your faith.

""It's boring."" Often, it is our own laziness which contributes to the boring nature of worship. When we fail to prepare to worship God, we set ourselves up for a boring time. This is primarily an internal problem rather than the external which many seek to fix. Whenever people get the idea that worship is boring, the first reaction is that we should ""spice"" things up a little. Lights may be dimmed, or more rousing hymns may be sung. The preacher may try something new. These are all quick fixes which do not last. Why? Because they do not strike at the root of the problem.

The solution to boring worship is to change internally. Read the Psalms of David which detail his love for God and his desire to praise Him. Read the laments of Jeremiah as the temple is denied God's people. It is a wonderful, exciting opportunity to serve God and to praise Him, and if we spend a little time in preparation, we will come to know this joy.

""I'm not worthy."" Sometimes, we struggle in our worship to God because we focus on our own failings, causing us anxiety about whether we belong. Remember that Paul said, ""For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life"" (Rom. 6:23). And remember as well that God does not offer this gift only to the most pious and holy, but to sinners, for ""God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us"" (Rom. 5:8). God loved us before we were Christians, so much that He sent Christ to die. He believes you are worthy. Isn't a God like that worthy of worship?