--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We must let God be Himself in us. This…" description: "\"“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 worshi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cec/r-t-kendall-13305_christian_we-must-let-god-be-himself-in-us-this-me_400052.png" --- # 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…” quote by R. T. Kendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cec/r-t-kendall-13305_christian_we-must-let-god-be-himself-in-us-this-me_400052.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cec/r-t-kendall-13305_christian_we-must-let-god-be-himself-in-us-this-me_400052.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cec/r-t-kendall-13305_christian_we-must-let-god-be-himself-in-us-this-me_400052.png) > ““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.”” [R. T. Kendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-t-kendall/) ## 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. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) [Christian life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-life/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Worship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worship/) ## Related quotes > [In worship we have our neighbors to right and left, before and behind, yet the Eternal Presence is over all and beneath all. Worship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-raymond-kelly/in-worship-we-have-our-neighbors-to-right-and-left-before-and-behind/) [Thomas Raymond Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-raymond-kelly/) > [If worship does not change us it has not been worship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/if-worship-does-not-change-us-it-has-not-been-worship/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [Ancient worship . . . does truth. All one has to do is to study the ancient liturgies to see that liturgies clearly do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-webber/ancient-worship-does-truth-all-one-has-to-do-is-to-study-the-ancient/) [Robert E. Webber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-webber/) > [Worship does not become worship until it changes the way we live](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perry-noble/worship-does-not-become-worship-until-it-changes-the-way-we-live/) [Perry Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perry-noble/) > [I really like worship music. It settles my soul. Gets me back on track. The lyrics are almost like a prayer, so it's my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-benson/i-really-like-worship-music-it-settles-my-soul-gets-me-back-on-track/) [Jodi Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-benson/) > [The highest form of worship is the worship of unselfish Christian service. The greatest form of praise is the sound of consecrated feet seeking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/the-highest-form-of-worship-is-the-worship-of-unselfish-christian/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [This external worship of images has, however, been described in all our Shastras as the lowest of all the low forms of worship. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/this-external-worship-of-images-has-however-been-described-in-all-our/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [Forms and rituals do not produce worship, nor does the disuse of forms and rituals. We can use all the right techniques and methods,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/forms-and-rituals-do-not-produce-worship-nor-does-the-disuse-of-forms/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [Worship does not consist in prayers and in external devotion, but in a life of kindness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emanuel-swedenborg/worship-does-not-consist-in-prayers-and-in-external-devotion-but-in-a/) [Emanuel Swedenborg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emanuel-swedenborg/) > [Worship does not satisfy our hunger for God; it whets our appetite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/worship-does-not-satisfy-our-hunger-for-god-it-whets-our-appetite/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [You become like what you worship. When you gaze in awe, admiration, and wonder at something or someone, you begin to take on something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-become-like-what-you-worship-when-you-gaze-in-awe-admiration-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“There is no question that spending time with God changes our desires. We always become like the one we worship. But it’s not because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/there-is-no-question-that-spending-time-with-god-changes-our-desires/) [Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/) > [If we go into white congregations, non-whites will sometimes say it felt like worship never started. It was sort of dead and didn't feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/if-we-go-into-white-congregations-non-whites-will-sometimes-say-it/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [I'm not a universalist, and the way I talk about final loss is this: People worship idols - money, whatever. Their humanness gets reshaped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/i-m-not-a-universalist-and-the-way-i-talk-about-final-loss-is-this/) [N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/) > [“When human beings give their heartfelt allegiance to and worship that which is not God, they progressively cease to reflect the image of God.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/when-human-beings-give-their-heartfelt-allegiance-to-and-worship-that/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) ## More by R. T. Kendall > [“days of the earliest Church? I ask you: Do you want things to go on as usual, or do you want to see God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-t-kendall/days-of-the-earliest-church-i-ask-you-do-you-want-things-to-go-on-as/) [R. T. Kendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-t-kendall/) > [“This part of the story shows something of the suffering of a true prophet. It is true that the greater the suffering the greater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-t-kendall/this-part-of-the-story-shows-something-of-the-suffering-of-a-true/) [R. T. Kendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-t-kendall/) > [“said, “Make a cake for yourself and your son, and then make some for me.” That would have been considered more sensible and unselfish.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-t-kendall/said-make-a-cake-for-yourself-and-your-son-and-then-make-some-for-me/) [R. T. Kendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-t-kendall/) > [“Dr. A. W. 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He did not moralize with the distraught widow. He did not say, “I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-t-kendall/elijah-was-brilliant-in-his-response-he-did-not-panic-he-did-not/) [R. T. Kendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-t-kendall/) > [“There is one person who will never let you down, will never fail you. Jesus Christ. He is perfect. Sinless. Faultless. He loves you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-t-kendall/there-is-one-person-who-will-never-let-you-down-will-never-fail-you/) [R. T. Kendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-t-kendall/) > [I want to inspire people to desire to see the praise that comes from the one and only true God. Above all else. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-t-kendall/i-want-to-inspire-people-to-desire-to-see-the-praise-that-comes-from/) [R. T. Kendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-t-kendall/) > [“Elijah wanted the crisis to be dealt with, and the boy was raised from the dead. 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Kendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-t-kendall/) > [“Faith Is Sometimes Spelled R-I-S-K Then the word of the LORD came to him: “Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-t-kendall/faith-is-sometimes-spelled-r-i-s-k-then-the-word-of-the-lord-came-to/) [R. T. Kendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-t-kendall/) > [“Elijah was vindicated then and there as being a true man of God. Not everybody gets vindication that soon. For some it takes years.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-t-kendall/elijah-was-vindicated-then-and-there-as-being-a-true-man-of-god-not/) [R. T. Kendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-t-kendall/) > [“He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. Then he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-t-kendall/he-took-him-from-her-arms-carried-him-to-the-upper-room-where-he-was/) [R. T. Kendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-t-kendall/) [Explore all 51 R. T. Kendall quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-t-kendall/) ## More Christian quotes > [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. 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I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) [Browse all 14,306 Christian quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“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.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "R. T. 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