How would you feel if you were singing on Sunday and you noticed behind you someone like Max Lucado, Michael W. Smith, or some other big Christian name out there. Would you worship any different? Would you give it any more emotion? Maybe you would lift your hands so that you could be really extra spiritual. It is easy to worship different if you think someone is watching you, especially if that someone is really important.
When I was 13 my grandfather died of cancer. I remember thinking that I should try really hard not to sin because I thought maybe he could see me and I sure wouldn’t want to disappoint him. I tried really hard for a while but eventually I goofed up again. I have goofed up many other times in the last 17 years. I doubt my grandfather could actually see me but it made a difference to me that someone I valued didn’t need to see me sinning.
What I find interesting about our tendencies in this is that sometimes we are more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us. God does see us. God does know what we do. When we worship, He is watching. I know there are times I wonder if I am singing off key and if it is bothering those around me. What does it matter if they aren’t my audience? God never asked me to please anyone else with my signing but Himself. Why do we get so caught up in what other people think and often very little concerned about the One who sits on the throne who we have come to praise? Why would we be more upset that a friend or relative found out about our sin than the fact that God knows about all of it already?
I don’t think we need to walk around being paranoid of God. But I do think that God is waiting for us to mess up. I have heard many people say that is an unhealthy view of God. I don’t think that is unhealthy. What is unhealthy is to think He is waiting so that when we do mess up He can smack us down for it. I think He is waiting to see when we fail so that when we do He can continually show us just how merciful He really is. That is how much He loves us. So who are you trying to please?
