I heard a story about Kobe Bryant and how the majority of his training routines revolved around drilling down the basics. An interviewer asked him why the best basketball player in the league (at the time) was practicing the basics? He responded with a cheeky “That’s why I’m the best player.”
As I gleaned at this inspiring story of mastery, I was convicted by the Holy Spirit to have a similar mindset. As Christians, we often get caught up in looking for the next best worship song or try to find more ways to improve our prayers and ministry responsibilities with the latest teachings and sermons. There is nothing wrong with these things per se, but when we get bored of the basics, we tend to replace what is fundamental for our faith with what is complimentary.
Let’s take praise and worship to the Lord as an example.
I had a recent experience where worship was not really doing it for me. The instruments were off, the notes were flat, the song and overall sound was all over the place.
As I sat there trying to worship, I just couldn’t get past the noise. All of a sudden, I heard the Holy Spirit convict me. I heard him say something like “wow, so you still need the right song, the right notes and the right instruments to worship the king?”
I immediately knew that I had the wrong heart. The Holy Spirit reminded me that if my worship to the Lord was predicated on having the right song, the right instruments and singing the right notes, then I’m in trouble.
If I need something external to help me worship the Lord, then I’m in trouble. If Christ in me is not enough to lift up His name, then I’m in trouble.
The Holy Spirit revealed a blind spot in my worship to the King. I could blame all the talented artists for making sweet worship songs and conditioning me to worship to amazing musical compositions, or I can accept that I have a tendency to worship the king when it’s accompanied by sweet music.
Please hear me out. We shouldn’t stop playing sweet worship music. We just shouldn’t make what is meant to be complimentary the main thing.
God’s looking at your heart, and if you sound good while you’re worshiping Him with all your heart, then that’s a bonus, but if you don’t, well, I have the feeling it’s all the same to Him.
I’m reminded of the saying from Pastor Alvin: “the Kingdom of Heaven is upside-down and inside-out.” It is what we have on the inside that should dictate our external environment. It’s Christ in you, and me, and him, and her that invites the presence of God to dwell among us. It’s not about the songs we sing, but the heart in which we sing it in.
Father, Help us to not get bored of the basics in our journey with you. May we continue to live out the foundations of our faith in every season of our lives. Show us how to make you the focus and put you first in everything we do. Give us a deeper understanding of who you are and reveal to us where we need to make adjustments in our lives. Lead us and guide us Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name we pray Amen!