Are You Singing For God or Yourself

A few years back I wrote about worship being more than a song. That, like God's Word never changes but thee is something weighing heavy on my heart that must be spoken. 
When we think of worship the idea is singing a joyful noise to the Father in Praise and Adoration. That is only partially right. Worship is a relationship with God, not just for an hour or two on a Sunday and or Wednesday. It is a daily, monthly, yearly, ok it is a lifelong thing. It, in fact encompasses our very being as we are in a relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Our moment to moment companion is the Holy Spirit so when we serve others, we are in obedient reverence to Him. Worship is a way of life, it is our Sabbath activity. 

When we present ourselves before God in song, we must remember that during corporate worship it is just that, a joining with others to give praise to our Father. It is not just one person leading and the others repeating, but a rising of voices singing praise as one but many. It is not a concert. Remember the songs “Heart of Worship”, or even "Come, Now is the Time to Worship"? Those are reminders it is not just for reminders for our hearts but the words elevate the Glory of God. 
When Worship/Praise Bands begin to reach out some have a major issue: the elevation of one or more members above the others. What I mean is that one takes the center stage more than three quarters of the time and it becomes more about the popularity than it does the songs sung. That is a major issue with Contemporary Christian Artists (CCA) today. When a few began to cross over to the secular, they lost their way and the teachings of when they were young. This is a danger for the them as they could become ostracized by their peers or the exact opposite happens where the popularity contest gets in the head of other CCA members. I have felt this beginning to take place in the band in which I currently serve and it is disheartening. 
Brothers and Sisters, we should be in constant discernment on what we listen to. In the car listening to the CCA radio stations, if you hear something that does not sound biblical, turn it off and listen to something else. Remember, just because they are popular in Christian does not mean that all their music is Scripturally sound. Many things go into our ears but it is to be discerned in our hearts to ensure that what comes out of our mouths is in line with God's Word.
Blessings,
Rob, Servant of God