How should I worship?

Today, in worship, I stood singing and became humbled. I had been acting silly and there was lots of joking before the service but I couldn't help but feel that same atmosphere brought into my personal worship (which becomes less personal in some ways when your worshiping and leading). I wasn't meaning to be vain or self indulging purposefully. But was I? I mean, I spent rehearsal joining in and cracking jokes just as much as everyone else instead of preparing my heart. Shouldn't I know by now how that affects my worship? I should know by now that my attitude in preparation for worship is ten times more important than the twenty minutes I spend with a mic in front of my face.  So, I stood there, being smacked in the face by humility. And it showed. maybe not to everybody but surely somebody noticed the affect it was having on me because I could hear it in my voice, see it in my spirit, feel it in my hands. Humility.  I am a people pleaser. I am the kind of person who often fights for approval until I realize it doesn't actually matter. After a few months of knowing someone, I remind myself of Galatians 1:10. I am here to serve God not men! Hopefully, through sanctification, I will get to where I am that way straight off the bat. With the people I meet and can share much with right off the bat, this isn't a problem. It is, ironically, the ones whose hearts I can't tell much about, the ones who appear "cool". This is most detrimental to my ability to worship and lead worship.  Want to know something? My most intimate moments of worship have been in leading Junior High worship. I find myself preparing so much for those night, bathing them in prayer and preparing myself to lead those young hearts. They truly are a blessing to my heart. Why? Why is that? Because of my preparation. Because of my humility I experience before them because I know I am united with them in Christ Jesus.  Today, I was humbled, humbled publicly and so very personally and I praise God for it. Man! I needed it. I was reminded that the condition of my spirit affects my worship. I should be settling scores, forgiving all I have not forgiven, cleansing myself in repentance followed by forgiveness then sanctification each time I am about to worship God. Whether its leading or standing among other followers in congregations or sitting in my car pouring my heart out, I need to consider the condition of my heart. I don't have to be perfect but I do have to be humble. I need to stand in unity with other followers united and humbled by Christ's great love. After all and before all, He is who we are praising. Not ourselves. Not other followers.    He alone is God of all.  "Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:1-11 NIV)