Worship not Based on Emotions

Emotions and worship! Why does it seem that those go hand in hand these days? The answer to that is found in the fact that worship is becoming less Christ-centered and more self-centered. Worship leaders seem to have taken worship to an extreme where the drums and guitar solos lead to people falling on their knees in repentance of sins they really did not have. People are able to mess with emotions greatly and it seems as though this is becoming a very real issue in today’s worship. If the music is not moving the soul to action then it must not be good music. In GPTG Godfrey explains, “Pentecostals, building on the revivalism from which they sprang, claim that open expression of strong emotions is more truly human and more truly biblical than more traditional forms of worship (359).” This statement really hits the target in regards to the rising issue of emotions leading worship.

Music plays a huge role in the issue of emotions and worship. The music in worship is the biggest cause of the emotions getting out of control and pulling one away from true worship of God. This is where the worship leader must make some difficult choices in how the worship music should be presented. Should the worship be presented in a rock style that will appeal to a younger generation or should it be presented in a hymn style that will appeal to the elder generation? Music for the younger generation tends to play with emotions and cause people to feel as though they are close to God, thus causing them to make irrational decisions.

Emotions in worship are not a bad thing. The problem arises when emotions lead the worship. Calvin states, “The human soul consists of two faculties, understanding and will” (361). These two come together and are from the heart. This is why emotions are so important and should not be messed with. The Bible teaches in Proverbs that we are to guard our hearts because it is the wellspring of life (4:23). However, if we let the heart be uncontrolled by our emotions we are going to have a heart that is not where it should be.

Emotions are not wrong but they can be used in a very powerful way that makes them wrong. When worshiping, we are to be in control of our bodies and focusing on what God is teaching us. We are to be giving him our undivided attention while being in control of ourselves. However, when we let emotions take the control we lose the ability to rationalize and determine if our worship is truly God-centered or if it is a result of the music. Emotions are powerful and must be used in a very careful manner especially in regards to worship.