Let's be real. You're not the best worship leader there is. Neither am I.

There will always be a better musician, a better singer, a more charismatic personality, a more organized leader. You're not the best.

But isn't it good to know that leading our churches isn't about being the best? Because worship class worship leading is more about being hidden than being noticed. Let me explain what that means.

It's important to distinguish what we actually do and facilitate as worship leaders:

• Worship leaders don't draw attention to themselves. They direct eyes and hearts to Jesus.
• Worship leaders don't sing for people. They sing with people.
• Worship leaders don't entertain a crowd. They engage a room.
• Worship leaders don't usher the church into encounter. They spotlight the one who does.

Our praise doesn't make God more glorious. He is completely glorious in and of Himself.

Our passion and desire doesn't force the Spirit to move. We simply awaken to His ever present nearness.

I love how John Piper says it in his book, Reading the Bible Supernaturally:

We do not magnify Him the way a microscope magnifies. We magnify Him the way a telescope magnifies. A microscope makes tiny things look bigger than they are. Telescopes make huge things, which already look tiny, appear more like what they really are."

What's sad is that many of us are putting ourselves under a microscope for the bride of Christ to behold rather than helping them see Jesus through a telescope. I know I've been there.

But strong, humble leaders help people look through the microscope—to help them see what they haven't seen before. We don't change anything about what we see; we simple make it clearer and draw more attention to its fascinating detail.

Our object of attention? The glory of God. More specifically, the glory of God shining most brightly in the person of Jesus Christ.

In every service, there are people who've never seen. This Sunday might be the day their eyes are opened. There are others who have grown cold to what they've seen. This weekend might be where the fire is sparked again.

Songs are our telescope. We sing in order to see more clearly. The more clearly we see, the more our hearts are moved and the more deeply we worship.

Scripture is our telescope. The more we see in God's Word, the more we can respond in Spirit and truth worship.

Every tool we use as worship leaders is a telescope to help us see Jesus more clearly. If it's not helping us see Him, it's not helping us.

Help people see. Respond. See more. Respond again. That's what a worship leader does. Don't use the stage to magnify your talent. Spend your life spotlighting the eternal facets of God's glory.

There's endless beauty to behold. 

David Santistevan is a worship pastor at Allison Park Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

This article originally appeared at davidsantistevan.com.

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