We must let God be Himself in us. This means that we must…
““We must let God be Himself in us. This means that we must let Him be Himself in others too. We ought not to judge the style of another person’s worship. But worship that is elitist or is reduced to the level of popular entertainment, worship that is emotional or aesthetic is worship in name only. It has the external form without the reality. What we long for is living worship. But how does this come about? Our churches should not be places where the unregenerate come on Sundays because they “like the worship.” Our churches ought to be places where the unregenerate feel uncomfortable because it is the Spirit who is important and who comes first. Our controlling principle must be obedience to the Spirit—no matter where He leads us. Psalm 37:4 is true for all of us, whomever we are or whatever we want. But when we delight ourselves in the Lord, some of our desires may wither away and be replaced by new ambitions. So it will not do to envisage a definite goal concerning the form our worship must take. We must first of all be sure that we are delighting ourselves in the Lord and then see what God does.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
True worship is authentic, Spirit‑led, and transformative, not merely emotional or popular.
In simple terms: Real worship is genuine and Spirit‑focused.
Key Takeaway
Seek authentic, Spirit‑guided worship.
Themes
faith
authenticity
spiritual growth
Mood
reflective
challenging
Type
theological
inspirational
When to use this quote
- church services
- personal devotion
- community worship
Key Concepts
theology
ecclesiology
personal transformation
Questions to Reflect On
- What does “living worship” look like for you?
- How can churches foster discomfort that leads to growth?
A Different Perspective
It may be hard to distinguish genuine worship from performance.