The Perfect Beginning

When Worship is Warped

It began with an offering. Two brothers, Cain and Abel, each brought a gift to God. Abel’s offering pleased the Lord, but Cain’s did not.

We can almost hear the whisper of tension before the act of violence, as jealousy creeps into the heart and dark thoughts weave through devotion. Cain’s anger grew, and in a moment, what was meant to be worship became twisted. He led his brother into the field, and a life ended; a family fractured, and a moment of praise turned into heartbreak.

The story is sobering, yet tender in its lesson. God does not merely notice the gift; He notices the heart behind it. When pride, envy, or comparison tangle with devotion, even acts of worship falter. Worship is never just the song or the offering; it is the posture of the heart.

We see the same truth in the life of Fanny Crosby. Blind from infancy, she could have grown bitter, her world small and dark. Instead, she poured her soul into hymns that carried millions closer to God. Hymns like “Blessed Assurance” remind us that worship springs from trust, even when the body or circumstances cannot see the way forward. True worship begins where we surrender, not where we perform.

We recognise that struggle in our own lives. Seasons come when we serve, yet measure, compare, and seek approval. Worship easily shifts from love to proving ourselves. God’s voice is gentle but insistent: “Why are you angry? If you do well, will you not be accepted?” He desires to heal what is tangled in our hearts so that worship may become sincere again, free from envy or pride.

I recall a similar season in my own life. I loved the worship of a particular leader so much that it drew me to that church. Then he moved on, and a new worship leader took his place. The church was far, parking was inconvenient, and I was juggling a small child while expecting my second. I felt the pull to stop going, to retreat into comfort.

In that quiet tension, God whispered a truth that reshaped my heart. Worship does not depend on a place, a leader, or even the music itself. It flows from a surrendered heart. I began to carve out intimate worship sessions at home. Slowly, even in the church, in songs unfamiliar and voices new, my heart learned to rise in love, in trust, in praise that was mine alone, yet offered to God.

From Cain’s jealousy and broken worship, to Fanny Crosby’s hymns that carried blind faith into song, to the tender moments of personal surrender in our own lives, the lesson threads through: worship is a matter of the heart. It can falter, it can stumble, but it can also be restored. When our hearts align with God, when envy and pride are laid down, worship becomes pure, intimate, and alive.

Even now, God waits to meet us there, in the quiet corners, in the songs we offer alone, in the surrender we cultivate despite imperfection. Worship at its deepest is never about performance. It is always about love.

Reflection Question:

Are there places in your life where jealousy, pride, or anger are getting in the way of true worship?

Prayer:

Heal my heart, Lord. Remove jealousy, anger, and pride from me. Teach me to worship You in spirit and truth, with a heart that honors You. Amen.