To me, this is one of the most amazing songs ever! From the first time that I heard this song, it touched my heart and changed my life. I can get caught up in life that I don’t stop to see how great He is! He’s so great! My friend and I have been emailing each other each day with our lists of things we are grateful for each day. It’s given me a whole new meaning of worship. I suggest you start making your lists of what you’re grateful for each day. This morning, as I thought about how much my kids got on my nerves, I was thankful that God allowed me to birth these beautiful beings who get on my nerves, but also bring so much joy into my life. As I think of my friends who lean on me when they need a helping hand, and I do the same, I am grateful for them. I am thankful that I have eyes to see the wonderful sunrise and sunset! I am grateful just to be! To start my day like this, is amazing in and of itself.
These last few months have been very hard for me. I lost someone very dear to me. But I know that even in death, God is glorified. He prepared her for what was to come. I also am in school, the summer months are gone, the fall is here, lots of trials and tribulations have come to those close to me. My spirit feels tired. I feel like my soul needs a revival. During this time of despair, I realize that God is still at work in me!
I go to a Women’s Bible Study on Alternate Saturdays and we are reading a book called, “Resting In Him” by Women of Faith. It’s been an eye opener for me. It talks about the different seasons you go through in your life. There are fall, spring, summer and winter seasons in our life. Just as the natural seasons change, our spiritual life changes. We talked about the times we felt closest to God. And oddly enough, the times that I felt closest to God were the times that I was in deep despair. I felt that He was right there because I needed Him. I couldn’t go on without Him. Anyway, I said all of this to say that I feel that God is doing something new in me, something new in my church and in the hearts of His people. I have hope that He will revive my spirit. I know that everything is not going to be good all of the time, but I have hope that He is at work in me. I have no other choice.
It’s so hard to think of servanthood as worship. But it is. He calls us to be servants just as Jesus was. I know that it’s in my make-up to be a servant. Some people find it difficult, most of the time I find it easy. Sometimes, however, I need to put serving into perspective. I start to resent. I start to grumble. I start to complain. “Why do I have to be the one doing it all…why can’t someone just invite me to a party, do I have to PLAN it all the time?” Once I start letting those thoughts in, I become unhappy. My life takes a weird turn. I start shutting everyone off and I stew and pout. God says to be a servant, and not to serve to be seen. He wants us to have a fully committed heart and serve with no expectations. This is worship.
Galatians 6:9-10 says, “Let us not grow tired of doing good, for, unless we throw in our hand, the ultimate harvest is assured. Let us then do good to all men as opportunity offers, especially to those who belong to the Christian household.”
1 Peter 4:10-11 says, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”
God is the one who deserves the glory. HE is the only one that should get recognition through all we do. We need to do it in His honor.
I’m talking to myself when I write this blog…this means to wash those cars with gratitude tomorrow at the youth car wash. This means to not complain about how tired I am. This means to serve and know that all we do will be to uplift the Kingdom of God. This is worship.
One of my favorite artists, Darlene Zschech wrote a book that I recently read called Extravagant Worship. She starts the book off talking about the woman who anointed Jesus’ feet with perfume – very expensive perfume. She goes on to talk about how the woman was very extravagant in her worship. She defines the word extravagant as: exceeding the limits of reason; lacking in moderation, balance and restraint (praise); extremely or excessively elaborate; spending much more than necessary; profuse, lavish.
To even think about those words in the context of worship is amazing. God, the Creator, Maker, Lover of our Souls, lavishes his love and grace upon us DAY BY DAY. Can we not lack moderation, balance and restraint in our praise? Can we show just a little bit of appreciation for all He has done for us? Something is to be said about someone who thinks about praise in such a way.
My challenge for myself and for those reading this is that we will not lack restraint in our praise. That we wouldn’t care about how crazy we may look. That we may raise our hands, that we may lift our voices in adoration. To not think about anything else but Him as He gives us all of Him. What a wonderful God we serve. Can we lavish our love on Him as He does for us??? What does this mean? To me it means to take just a little more time to appreciate the “small” things that we forget about…breathing? living? loving? These are all things we take for granted. May I never get too busy that I forget the small but huge things.
