I thought i knew what worship was, i knew i wasn't great at it, but i thought it was music- singing my heart out to God. I guess i knew it was more than that, but i didn't know how to go about doing it. I'm reading "A Seeking Heart" by Alicia Williamson & Sarah Groves and i am learning so much about what it means to truly worship our God.
Worship takes a conscious effort of turning our mind's attention towards God and directing our heart's affection at Him. I have not been putting the effort in. It's like i show up at church or wherever and I say "OK God, here I am, come get me." What a lazy believer I am, that I can't meet God in the middle or take my steps first.
Under no conditions do i think my life is one of worship currently. Church once every 2 months and grace at suppertime doesn't qualify me as anything but a lazy, selfish sinner. But I've realized this.. and now it's time to change. That's the beauty of the grace of our God: yes i'm a sinner, this is a given. But i have received mercy and I now have the freedom to change my ways and take the path that was laid out for me. Praise God!
I hadn't read my Bible in I don't know how long and i realized over the last couple of days... there is some GOOD stuff in there!!! The verses have encouraged me, spurred me on toward living a righteous life that is pleasing to God. They have given me comfort in knowing my God is God of the universe, and that if i come near to Him, he will come near to me- easy as that.
I read today about loving God first and as many times as i've heard those words, they didn't sink in until just now. And let me just say that as awesome as He is, i think that is going to be very hard for me. I love my husband already more than i can comprehend, my family feels like they are my vital organs... how do i love more than that? I still do not know, but i will die trying.
It is going to take a lot of concentration to do each task each day for God and His glory. It will take even more to let my words glorify Him. I pray my words will uplift others and that God will be pleased when He hears them.
Worship is a form of loving God and to love Him, we must know Him. To know Him we must do what we do to know anyone- talk to Him, read what He has written for us, and spend time with Him often.
I have discovered that i am not as busy as i make myself out to be. The tv is on way too much and is just a distraction from what i could really be doing, which is building up the most important relationship in my life. There are so many things each day that tear us away from the place we really need to be. The devil makes us busy, distracts us from what is important, and then he wins. Slow down, let God set the pace of your life. Don't put worship into a little box that involves only music, or only praying. Let worship invade your life, cry, sing, pray, read, help others, whatever He tells you to do, do it and let all glory be His.
Worship cannot be put into words. As much as i'd like to sit down and read a book that tells me exactly how to worship and how to love God, it doesn't exist. It is personal, this relationship that we must develop. That is the beauty of it- it is between us and God and no one else. Revel in that fact and delve into the depths of His love... you might just find worship there.
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Mo, incidentally I was actually thinking of writing about worship too - you beat me to it!
ReplyDeleteI listen to John Piper alot, and as you may know his famous phrase is "God is most glorified in me, when I am most satisfied in Him." Piper bridges the gap between duty and emotions. He connects our emotional reflex, to our relationship with God. When we go to church and the word is preached and something pops out at you and brings joy to your heart, that is true worship. And I think it pleases God because the genuine reflex of your heart was to be joyful in Him. My thoughts of late have gravitated toward people who require certain types of music to 'enter into worship'. Its interesting to me that the focus is on self, and in this case the thing that pleases "self" is a type of music. Sure we have stylistic differences, but to say that one cannot worship in their heart because the music is not "happnin", speaks volumes regarding the 'natural reflexes'. Read the word every day Mo, its food for the soul.
Love you,
Micaiah
Wonderful post Cousin. I too am rediscovering the comfort and blessings of God's Word and it has been an amazing journey thus far, and I am only in Jan. I can't wait to see what the other 11 months have in store.
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Yes how we like to put worship in a package and view it in that way. Singing songs at church, some brief prayer time. If we can only know him as he knows us and share all our deepest fears,sins, and desires with him. That is what He wants. We are the apple of His eye. Thank you for your thoughts and praise God for your desire to know Him intimately.
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