From Me to He

“The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.”
Johann Sebastian Bach

“It is not what a man does that determines whether his work is sacred or secular, it is why he does it.”
A.W. Tozer

“The glory of God is man fully alive, and the life of man is the vision of God.”
Saint Irenaeus

“God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.”
John Piper

“Worship is the submission of all our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness; the nourishment of mind with His truth; the purifying of imagination by His beauty; the opening of the heart to His love; the surrender of will to His purpose—and all this gathered up in adoration.”
William Temple

When did worship become about us? A quiet shift has occurred in modern church culture, a recalibration of our focus that places personal gratification above the glory of God. Songs once written to exalt His holiness now echo with self-assurance. Sermons once preached to confront sin and spur sanctification have softened into motivational speeches. Even our personal times of devotion can devolve into mere introspection, leaving God’s majesty unexplored and uncelebrated. The subtle seduction of self-centered worship threatens the heart of our faith. It exchanges the transformative power of God-focused adoration for the hollow comfort of emotional satisfaction. The result? A church that remains spiritually stagnant, emotionally fragile, and unable to fulfill its high calling to reflect Christ to the world. In our consumer-driven culture, it is little surprise that our faith, too, often becomes about us. The question we must confront is this: What happens to our spiritual growth when everything points us back to ourselves? The danger is stark. When worship turns inward and the Christian life becomes about how faith serves us, we miss the essence of what it means to follow Christ. True worship centers on God, and when He is the focus, something profound happens—we are transformed into His likeness. The byproduct of God-focused worship is not only spiritual growth but also an emotional renewal that comes from living in alignment with His design.

The Danger of Me-Centered Worship
In 2 Timothy 4:3–4, Paul issues a sobering warning to Timothy: “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths” (ESV). This verse diagnoses much of our modern church culture. We prefer messages that suit our preferences—ones that affirm us but do not challenge us, that soothe rather than convict. While encouragement has its place, Scripture consistently shows us that transformation comes not from comfort but from encounter. When Isaiah stood before the throne of God, his first response was not self-affirmation but holy fear: “Woe is me! For I am lost” (Isaiah 6:5, ESV). The reality of God’s holiness revealed Isaiah and Israel’s sinfulness, and this realization led to repentance and cleansing. Yet in much of today’s church culture, we bypass this critical moment of confrontation with God’s glory. We sing songs that focus on personal breakthroughs, listen to sermons emphasizing how God is for us, and leave feeling inspired but untransformed.

What Scripture Says About Worship
True worship is not about what we gain but about what we give. Jesus tells the Samaritan woman at the well, “The hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him” (John 4:23, ESV). Worship is a response to God’s worthiness, not a tool to elevate our self-worth. Consider Psalm 29:2: “Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness” (ESV). David does not suggest that worship is about seeking what God can do for us but rather about offering Him the praise He deserves. Paul’s exhortation in Romans 12:1–2 further reinforces this: “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (ESV). True worship requires sacrifice—laying aside our preferences, comfort, and self-focus to align ourselves with God’s purposes.

The Inward Drift of Modern Worship Culture
How often do our prayers, and the songs and sermons we listen to, focus more on what God does for us than on who He is? Consider the language of much contemporary worship music. Themes of personal breakthrough, deliverance from hardship, and God’s promises of blessing often dominate the lyrics. These are not wrong themes, but they risk overshadowing the deeper reality of God’s character. The Psalms offer a corrective here. While they frequently wrestle with personal struggles, their ultimate focus is on God’s greatness. Psalm 145:3 declares, “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable” (ESV). Even in lament, the psalms shift our gaze upward. Psalm 42:11 exemplifies this posture: “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God” (ESV). When worship centers on God’s attributes—His holiness, mercy, justice, and power—it elevates us above our circumstances and leads us into true spiritual renewal. Worship that centers on self, however, keeps us tethered to our struggles.

God-Centered Worship Spurs Us Toward Christlikeness
Worship is not about music, words, or emotion. It is about submitting to God in awe of His holiness and power. When we worship God for who He is, something transformative happens. By beholding His glory, we are changed. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 3:18, “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another” (ESV). This transformation is not incidental; it is the very purpose of worship. As we exalt God, we see more clearly who He is—and by extension, who we are called to be. Worship aligns our priorities with His and spurs us toward the holiness, humility, and love that characterize Christlikeness.

A Better Place: Spiritual, Emotional, and Physical Renewal
Ironically, when we stop making worship about us, we end up in a better place. God-focused worship has a way of recalibrating our souls, offering peace and joy that self-centered spirituality can never achieve. Psalm 16:11 declares, “You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (ESV). The joy found in God’s presence is not contingent on external circumstances. It is the deep, abiding joy that comes from knowing we are loved and secure in Him. This focus on God also brings emotional healing. Isaiah 26:3 promises, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (ESV). By fixing our eyes on God, we experience a peace that surpasses understanding, one that steadies us in the storms of life. Even our physical well-being could be impacted. Proverbs 17:22 reminds us, “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” (ESV). When our worship aligns us with God’s truth, it lifts our spirits, which can bring physical vitality.

Practical Steps Toward God-Centered Worship
To reclaim a God-centered approach to worship and church culture, we must intentionally redirect our focus. Are the songs we focus on or listen to primarily about God’s character, or are they about what He does for us? Do the songs focus on God’s attributes rather than our personal needs? When we pause to reflect on God’s holiness, mercy, and justice, we can elevate our entire experience. Worship is not about comfort but about offering ourselves to God (Romans 12:1). Messages we listen to and the words we speak should not only encourage but also convict, calling us to repentance, endurance, and growth in Christlikeness, and not satisfying our desires (2 Timothy 4:3). Finally, we must evaluate our prayers. Instead of treating prayer as a wish list, let it become a time to seek God’s will and align our hearts with His. The Lord’s Prayer begins with, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your Kingdom come, Your will be done” (Matthew 6:9–10, ESV). The Message translates it: “Our Father in heaven, reveal who You are. Set the world right; Do what’s best—as above, so below.” These words remind us that prayer is not about seeking our own desires but about aligning ourselves with God’s greater purposes. It is a call to surrender, acknowledging that His will is higher than ours and trusting that His plan is perfect, even when it diverges from our expectations. By approaching prayer with this mindset, we cultivate a heart that seeks to honor God above all else, surrendering our will to His in every area of life. Ultimately, our faith is not a spiritual spa designed to cater to our needs, rather the Church is a community of worshipers called to exalt God and become like Christ. When our focus shifts from ourselves to Him, the transformation we long for begins to take shape—not because we sought it but because we sought Him. Psalm 34:5 promises, “Those who look to Him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed” (ESV). Let us turn our gaze upward, away from the shallow comforts of self-centered faith, and into the radiance of God’s glory. For in His light, we find the life, joy, and Christlikeness we were made for.

Dear reader, the essence of worship lies not in what we receive but in what we offer. It is in the lifting of our gaze from our own concerns to the unchanging greatness of God that we find our lives transformed. The very act of beholding His glory reshapes us, calling us to a higher way of living, one that reflects His holiness and love. If you feel dissatisfied or stuck in the shallows of faith, the call is clear: stop looking inward and turn your eyes upward. Christ does not call us to comfort but to cruciformity, the shaping of our lives after His cross-bearing example. True worship costs us something —it calls for the surrender of self and the elevation of God. May we, like David, offer sacrifices that cost us dearly (2 Samuel 24:24). May we, like Isaiah, encounter the majesty of God and cry out in awe and repentance (Isaiah 6:5). And may we, like Paul, press on toward the goal, knowing that Christlikeness is worth any cost (Philippians 3:14). Let us not settle for a faith that merely makes us feel good. Instead, let us embrace worship that glorifies God and transforms us into vessels of His light. As we worship Him in spirit and truth, we will find ourselves not only renewed but also restored to the purpose for which we were created: to glorify Him forever.