I don't always feel like showing up to church.
This may sound odd coming from a pastor, but it's the truth. I've never preached words I didn't believe, but I don't always feel like showing up to praise God and preach His word. Sometimes, I feel weary from the burdens of life and ministry. Other times, I'm not looking forward to seeing someone who I know is not happy with me. I've even had moments when I was fine with the word I did on the platform, but it was the conversations in the lobby that made me genuinely anxious.
However, each time I got up, I drove to church and chose to show up with whatever I had that day. And every time, God did something in that room I couldn't take credit for. I found that same attitude in the lyrics of Tauren Wells' song, Bless Your Name.
In a social media caption, Wells shared a lesson from Wayne Francis, his college's dean of students: "There are two times when you praise God — when you feel like it and when you don't." Wells then added his own commentary: "It's God's glory that makes him worthy, not our feelings. When you don't feel a praise, you can find it."
Francis’ view of worship is far from a motivational pep talk with a self-help vibe. Francis shares a theology of worship that works when we feel blessed and when life gets heavy.
Wells carries the lessons Francis taught him into "Bless Your Name." The song’s bridge echoes the narrative of Mark 14:3-11. In that scene, a woman entered the house where Jesus was eating, broke open an alabaster box, and poured out an expensive, extravagant gift of worship and gratitude. Wells follows her example, breaking open his heart like an alabaster box and pouring everything out at the feet of Jesus.
The lyrics of “Bless Your Name” invite a kind of worship that is not tied to certain conditions, nor a feeling of readiness. Wells invites worshipers to bring everything to the only One worthy of all we have and all we are.
Then, Wells admits what we often feel but hesitate to confess:
“I wish that I had more I could offer to You, Lord, but praise is all You want me to bring.”
When I heard those lyrics, I knew they reminded me of a passage of Scripture. After some searching, I landed in Psalm 51, the song David wrote as he confessed and grieved his sins involving Bathsheba and Uriah. In that chapter, David wrote that God doesn't despise a broken and contrite heart. “Bless Your Name” echoes a similar sentiment. You don't have to arrive with something impressive when you come to praise. You come with what you have where you are today.
The woman with the alabaster box operated from a mindset we often lack. She wasn't calculating what her offering would cost her. She also wasn't pausing to consider others' thoughts, which is good, because some of the disciples scoffed at her offering. Instead, she just knelt down and gave what she had.
Jesus affirmed her gifts in Mark 14:8-9. “She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time. I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.”
Jesus didn’t say that her act would be talked about today because it was expensive. Rather, He called out her worship in the same way He called out the worship of the widow’s offering in the temple in Mark 12:41-44. Both women held nothing back.
That's the posture Tauren Wells is inviting us into with “Bless Your Name.” I wonder: what are you holding back from God right now because you don't think it's enough?
Are you holding back your finances because they seem insignificant? Are you holding back your career because you don’t feel as gifted as others? Are you holding back your worship because the last thing you feel like doing is singing?
In each of those instances, the invitation of Jesus is the same. Bring it anyway.
If everything you already have comes from God, then worship isn't about giving something up. It's returning everything that God entrusted to you.
Whether it’s time with your kids, a day at work, a gathering with your church, or the alarm clock going off, I wonder if Jesus is inviting you to show up, walk through the door, and put what you have in His hands.
Wayne Francis was right. There are two times to praise God — when you feel like it and when you don't. In both cases, the same thing is true. God is worthy whether you feel like it or not, whether your offering feels significant or small.
The woman with the alabaster box didn't wait until she felt ready. She just showed up and gave what she had. You can do the same thing today.
Scott Savage is a pastor, author, and speaker who loves tacos, matcha, and sneakers. Scott's writing has impacted over eight million readers through trusted platforms such as the YouVersion Bible App, Air1 Radio, and Our Daily Bread. Whether speaking on a stage or writing on a page, he offers a steady, empathetic voice that reassures people they are seen, loved, and not beyond God's healing reach. He’s the author of Faith Behind The Song, a new devotional book published by K-Love Books. Subscribers from over fifty countries are excited to read his free newsletter every Tuesday morning. You can join that list today at ScottSavageLive.com.
