I have heard it said several times, “I had a hard time concentrating on worship because So-and-So was doing such-and-such. I am not used to such-and-such an action, so it took my attention off the worship service.” In fact, I have thought this to myself several times as well. People raising their hands in prayer, singing off key, or doing something different from what I am doing have all caused me to lose focus on what is important. They should be more considerate of me because I am trying to worship God. Did they not know that everything was to be done “decently and in order” (1 Cor 14:40)?

However, there are major problems with my thinking here. At best I am being inconsistent and at worst hypocritical. While I am castigating someone for being “selfish” for not being considerate of my worship experience, I am also being selfish in thinking only about my worship experience at the cost of someone else. If possible, I need to love that person by allowing them to express themselves freely during worship service. I do not want to be rebuked like Michal for despising her husband David’s worship and praise of the Lord (2 Sam 6:20-23).

Therefore, let us stop blaming others for “distracting us” and instead grow in our own discipline and lengthen our attention spans. The next time you are “distracted” by someone’s worship (getting on their knees to pray, lifting hands to God in prayer, saying amen repeatedly, etc.), meditate on how wonderful it is that the person is worshiping God freely and are brave enough to express their worship in a way that is meaningful to them. This will humble us and show us that we are not the only ones worshiping God. We are not the center of the show. We have the joy and privilege of worshiping alongside others who are different from us. This is the beauty of the Gospel!