We all make mistakes. I used to think they were a sign of weakness or (better yet) that I wasn’t doing the right thing. And though mistakes do mean that I’m not on the right track, over the years of leading worship, God has taught me that if I learn from my mistakes, they can affect me in a positive way .
I cannot tell you how many times I have done the wrong thing as a worship leader. And at the very moment I realize my mistake, I have two choices in front of me. First, I can wallow in my pity party and beat myself up (which will leave me feeling entirely defeated), or I can look at my mistake and realize my fault, then use that experience to learn a lesson. In other words, I can make sure that I learn what not to do, which turns it into a positive lesson for me and my worship team.
Over the years of learning from my mistakes, I have compiled a list of six mistakes/obstacles to worship. When we make mistakes, the important thing is that we learn from them and use them as a springboard to move forward as we let God teach us how to depend fully on Him.
- Comparing yourself to others—modeling yourself/your church after another worship leader/church. God has called you for such a time as this. He hasn’t called you to duplicate someone else’s anointing. He has called you to walk in the calling He has given to you. Let Him work through you in a unique way.
- Focusing on self. We falter as leaders when we start to believe that people respond and grow in worship because of us. Sure, we play a part, but in reality, it is only because of God moving through us. We need to learn to simply be a vessel God uses.
- Disobedience. It’s easy to do what we want: to play the songs we want, to move in the direction we want. What happens when God calls us to something hard? Do we blindly obey or do we try to modify His calling to fit what we are comfortable with?
- Staying in our comfort zone. Our comfort zone feels so nice, doesn’t it? It’s what we are used to. It’s what we have no problem doing. But how can we grow and move past where we are when we insist on staying comfortable? And furthermore, how can our church grow in worship if we are always staying at the same level?
- Lack of prayer covering. How much time are we spending covering our worship service in prayer? How much of a prayer focus are we teaching our team? Are we only spending time preparing musically, or are we preparing spiritually for the task ahead of us?
- Going through the motions. Sometimes, preparing for and leading worship gets tiring. It can be a lot of work with hours of preparation. We can get into a cycle of going through the motions without really engaging. It can become just a “let’s get through this” moment. The truth is, God has something new and fresh for our congregation each and every week. Worship should never be something we endure. Instead, it should be a refreshing, recharging experience!
