Worship 101
Are you on the devil's treadmill? Do you fill every last minute of the day with busy work, like a gerbil in a wheel, chasing after some prize unseen? How many minutes do you spend each day simply sitting quietly before God?
Not long ago, I, like many Americans, had trouble sleeping. I would wake up in the middle of the night with wild animals running at me. "Do this! Do that! You forgot something!" Thoughts would fly at me faster than I could process them and my sleep was inconsistent.
God put it on my heart to start each day quietly with at least 60 minutes before Him. The petty time-fillers and worldly distractions that haunt my day were not sufficient excuses.
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I have challenged the men of my church to join me in spending at least one hour per day with God. Certainly, women are welcome to join in, but I have called out the men, in particular, to put away their electronic leashes, ESPN, and the Internet, and instead, devote this time to God alone.
I can honestly say that God has responded in ways I would have never imagined. Whatever your challenge - addictions, marriage problems, self-esteem issues, a demanding job - I encourage you to sit before God daily for 60 minutes and seek answers.
Hearing the Music
Long ago, when my daughter was young and still aspired to be a ballerina, she was dancing around in our living room with all the carefree abandon of a joyful child. My other daughter, who was sitting on the sidelines watching the performance, cried out in frustration, "Daddy, I can't hear it! I can't hear it!" I didn't understand what she meant. She persisted. "Daddy I can't hear it! I can't hear it!"
Finally it dawned on me. My daughter could not hear the "music" her sister was dancing to. She wanted to experience the same melody and beat that had inspired her sister to dance. The funny thing was there was no music playing - unless you count the song playing in the heart and mind of my little ballerina.
When you live a life of worship, people will look at your life and say, "I can't hear what she is hearing." They will wonder: Where does he get that wisdom? How did she get that power? Why doesn't he react this way to that circumstance and that way to this one?
Worship happens when we clearly see the holiness of God. Just as we experience spontaneous awe when we see a beautiful sunset, seeing the grandeur of God evokes a spontaneous response of worship – we can't help it!
The Response of Respect
When you sing worship songs at church, do you absorb and internalize the lyrics and offer each of the words as a gift of worship? Or do you arrive late, mumble your way through the songs in a distracted fashion, fold your arms at your chest and sit down the first chance you get? You are selling yourself short.
Throughout the Bible, there are numerous types of worship demonstrated as a response of respect to God. Abel worshipped by sacrificing an animal (Genesis 4); Abraham worshipped by giving a tithe (Genesis 14); Moses worshipped by taking off his shoes when he came to the burning bush (Exodus 3); David worshipped by dancing in the street (2 Samuel 16).
Worship is a response of respect that acknowledges a humble willingness to serve. Your worship experience will be directly proportionate to your willingness to please God.
You will never know God's blessing until you find meaningful ways to worship Him and respond to His plan for your life. Take time today to sit quietly before God and listen for His music.
