Let me start with a disclaimer. This is not about church music. That's just a jumping off point. So don't get bogged down in that topic. So ... I've been in church all my life. I've sung in choirs, played in worship, led worship teams ... lots of stuff. I've noticed, both in observing and in my own experience, that there is a tendency of people who are "up front" in that sense to ... become more performance-oriented than worship-oriented. I mean, we're all aware that "It's all about Him," but when someone says, "Hey, you sounded great today," it's hard to think it has nothing to do with you. When you do a good job and, say, the congregation applauds, it's hard to think, "They're applauding for God." Because they're probably not. They're telling you, "You're doing a good job." So even when you set out to do things like that for a good reason with all the best intentions, it's so very easy to slip into a "performance" mode.
Life is like that. We read "Without Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5) and we're pretty sure we can do a lot of things. We read that we're supposed to "Work out your salvation with fear and trembling" and think, "Well, I guess I'll work on that," ignoring the next verse: "for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure" (Php 2:13). "I'm sorry ... what did you say? Are you saying that my will and power are provided, not generated by me?" We think we're pretty good (Rom 3:11-12) and pretty savvy (1 Cor 2:14) and we're working hard on growing in Christ (Gal 3:1-3). You see, it's not about our performance; it's about Him, His grace, His mercy, His work in us, His Holy Spirit at work in us. Scripture says we don't even know how to pray, but He prays on our behalf (Rom 8:26). Everything we do is to His glory by His power ... not by our fine performance.
So ... Jesus says, "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven" (Matt 5:14-16). Do we even know how to do that? He has given us light in ourselves ... not our own. We're supposed to ... "let it shine." His light is meant to shine, not be hidden. How are we supposed to let His light in us be seen? We're supposed to do our "good works" in such a way that ... they hardly even see us. They don't think, "Hey, you did a good thing." No. They think, "Wow! God is great!!" So we have integrity when no one is watching. We are kind when it isn't expected. We are generous when it costs us. We are faithful in little things. We have the courage to do what's right when it's unpopular. It is people seeing that it's not us, but Him. It's not "normal." It isn't "self-serving." It isn't "ego-driven." It is rejoicing under trial (James 1:2-4) ... like Paul and Silas singing hymns in prison. It is giving self up (Php 2:5-8). It is loving each other when it makes no sense to anyone else (John 13:34-35). It is contentment in much and in little (Php 4:11-12). It is peace in turmoil (Php 4:6-7). It is sacrificing self as a matter of worship (Rom 12:1) and doing everything for His glory (1 Cor 10:31) It is ... something completely different.
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We are so encumbered with our own will and ego that we think we must be the power driving our actions. Most Christians even argue that to be the case. Thankfully, God has communicated to us through Scripture that it just isn't true. Without Scripture, in every day experience, it makes sense to think we are the ones empowering ourselves to will and to act. Sure, Jesus got the ball rolling. But as Scripture points out, that would be something to boast in ourselves about, making our salvation our doing. We can only glorify God for our actions if He's the one empowering is to will and do obedience and good works.
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