21/08/2026
MICHAEL W. SMITH WARNS WORSHIP LEADERS: “WE’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE A CELEBRITY”
Christian music veteran Michael W. Smith is calling worship leaders back to humility, warning that applause, recognition, and attention can subtly shift the focus of worship away from God and toward the person holding the microphone.
Sharing words from a friend that deeply convicted him, Smith said:
“The Lord doesn’t share His glory with anybody!”
He then offered a direct reminder about the responsibility of leading worship:
“As we’re leading worship, we’re not supposed to be a celebrity. We’re supposed to kind of disappear.”
After decades of performing before large audiences, Smith acknowledged how easy it can be for attention and applause to become distractions.
That is why, before stepping onto the stage, he says he now prays that God would be pleased with him, that he would be “clothed in humility,” and that his motives would remain pure.
For Christians, his message reaches far beyond musicians.
Ministry was never meant to be about building our own name.
The microphone is not the mission.
The platform is not the purpose.
The applause is not the reward.
Everything should ultimately point back to God.
John 3:30
“He must become greater; I must become less.”
James 4:10
“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.”
Whether someone is preaching before thousands, leading worship in a small church, or serving where nobody sees them, the purpose remains the same:
Not to make ourselves known.
But to make Jesus known.
The platform is not a place to exalt ourselves.
It is a place to exalt Him.
