Ryanne Molinari

Have you ever sat through a church service and wondered, “Why don’t I feel anything?” Or been told by a worship leader to “make a joyful noise” while you’re just wondering how you’re going to stay awake, let alone rejoice? You’re not alone. Keep reading for three reasons you might not feel joyful during worship and what you can do about it:

1. You’re Not Singing

1 Peter 1:8-9 describes believers who “rejoice with a joy.” This phrase sounds redundant, but it reveals a vital truth about joy: it’s not just something we feel but something we do. If you’re not feeling joy during musical worship, the first step is to check whether you’re singing. If you are not rejoicing, how can you expect to feel joy?

My parents raised my brother and me on the principle that feeling follows action. (“You don’t feel like you love your brother? Too bad. Go give him a hug.” “You don’t feel like forgiving your sister? Too bad. Tell her you love her.”) Sure enough, as we acted lovingly toward one another, our anger would be diffused and our affection would return. As children, we did not have total control over our emotions (and, on this side of eternity, we never will), but obedient behavior does tend to lead to regulated emotion.

Rejoice that you may be joyful! And then, let your joy pour out in more rejoicing! It’s a difficult cycle to enter, but it’s also a difficult cycle to break; once you get into the rhythm of regular rejoicing, your joy increases and sends you eagerly back to rejoicing! If you don’t feel joyful in worship (and you know it isn’t because of an unresolved sin or conflict), start simply by singing. Unclench your jaw, unfold your arms, and unlock your tongue. Rejoicing is often the first step toward joy.

2. You’re Focusing on Yourself

If you come to church expecting to feel joy without any intention of participating, I hate to break it to you, but something is very wrong with your view of worship. Maybe the church you attend doesn’t use your favorite style of music. Maybe you only sing when it’s a song you like. Either way, unless you are refusing to sing in order to better obey Christ, check yourself: you might be focusing too much on what sort of worship pleases you and too little on what sort pleases God. (I’ll give you a hint: it isn’t arrogant, self-centered worship.)

I will freely admit that I am an old soul. I love hymns. I love organ music (it’s my job, after all). However, some of the most Jesus-loving people I know thrive in contemporary worship and struggle with older styles. I trust that, just as God uniquely gifted me to thrive in traditional worship, He made and gifted them to thrive in contemporary worship. When I refuse to sing their songs just because I don’t like the style, I am essentially refusing to accept that God’s creativity extends beyond my preferred genre. Instead, I ought to sing and give thanks that God has created different people to worship Him in different styles. (Perhaps these different styles image different attributes of God…but that’s a blog post for another time).

Consider Ephesians 5:18-21, one of the most well-known passages on singing in the New Testament:

…be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, ²⁰ giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Ephesians 5:18b-21, ESV

This passage calls believers to submit to one another as they sing with one another. Isn’t that so counterintuitive in our culture that tends to pit different gifts against one another? I believe it pleases Him when I play hymns on the organ; however, it may please Him even more when I humbly fumble my way through a new song, for then I am not only worshipping Him, I am also submitting to my neighbor.

3. You’re Forgetting the Source of Joy

Along with the idea of different musical styles, we too often take joy in praise rather than its object. It is good to enjoy music and thank God for giving us such a gift, but that’s the key: thanking God for His gifts. Joy, for Christ-followers, is not rooted in passing pleasures. Instead, it is rooted in the grace of God. In fact, the Greek word for “joy” (chara) finds its origin in the word for grace (charis). Joy is a deep, constant awareness of God’s grace.

When we consider ourselves unable to rejoice apart from our preferred style, we are failing to remember the root of our joy. It is not in the gift (music) but in the Giver. Accordingly, when we are delighted by our favorite music, this pleasure is not automatically Christian joy. It may just be a feeling that will fade with the music.

So what are we to do? How are we to keep the real source of joy ringing in our ears? Simple: thank God.

Does the music delight us? Thank God, recognizing this music as a provision of His grace.

Does the music (or leader or setting or any other factor) not make us feel joyful? Thank God for the opportunity to rejoice in Him alone, apart from stimulants and preferences. Thank Him for the chance to witness His creativity in making people with different gifts and tastes.

Conclusion

While worship is deeply fulfilling, we cannot treat it only as a filling station. We must participate to the best of our abilities, even if it means singing off-key, wheezing our way through long phrases, or clapping along on the wrong beats. We aren’t there to be worshipped but to worship. When we roll into church looking to get our weekly joy-fix without ever contributing our own voices, submitting to others, or digging deeper into the real source of our joy, we are essentially saying that worship is about satisfying us—not about exalting Christ and building up His Body.