God has provided each of us with unique DNA, spirit and mind. As a result, we each react differently to our environment displaying our “personality” in the process. I have heard parents describe the very different personality of each of their children. God loves variety. He values it and uses it in His Kingdom here on Earth. When we accept the gift of salvation through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our spirit is set free from the bondage of sin and bonds with God’s Holy Spirit within us. But that doesn’t affect our uniqueness. We are not converted into mindless zombies plodding through life chanting scripture verses, as one of my unsaved friends seems to believe.
When Paul writes about renewing our mind, it isn’t about brain washing or mind control. It is about readjusting our focus on others instead of ourselves; on good instead of evil and on serving God with love as His Spirit prompts us. We still have a mind of our own even though there are times we do think about the same things. Growing up I heard my parents say quite often, “Great minds think alike.” I have found that most of the times when two Christians think alike, it is “One Spirit” that is guiding them to the same topic or conclusion. But that doesn’t stop us from looking at the world around us in a little different way than others. During World War II, General Patton was heard to say at a staff meeting, “If everyone is thinking alike, then someone is not thinking.”
All of this is leading me to my five years of experience as a member of a non-denominational, multi-cultural and multi-generational church. As a young Christian, I grew up in a Baptist church, where we raised our voices singing hymns, but otherwise worshipped in reverent silence. It has been interesting to observe the various ways others worship. Some dance in place to worship music, raising a hand to God. Some lift both hands in a position of surrender as they worship. One of my friends, who moved out of state, would sit in an aisle seat and drop to his knees in the aisle when he felt the presence of God during worship. I have even heard people softly speaking in their prayer language as the Spirit moved them. Have I found all of this distracting? No! As a matter of fact I find it refreshing to see what happens when Christians of different backgrounds are free to worship as fits their unique personalities. I am reminded that King David, a man after God’s own heart, was a song and dance man in God’s presence.
Is there a right or wrong way to worship? Jesus set the standard when he told the woman at the well in Samaria, “For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24) So, none of those ways to worship are wrong (including mine), as long as they are the true reaction and expression of God’s presence in our life. Worship God in truth as your spirit leads you, but by all means worship Him often.