28/08/2019
Worship
The first of the Christian disciplines I will discuss is worship. When I say worship most people probably think about Sunday morning, choir singing, prayer praying, preacher preaching kind of worship. We give ourselves to our Creator/Redeemer/Sustainer for one hour. That’s a very good start. But, my beloved, that’s not all there is to worship. We were created to give all glory and honor to God in all that we do. God does not need it, but God desires it. Actually we are commanded to worship God (Exodus 20; Luke 4:8). But as with anything else, we can make a choice to be obedient or disobedient. We make the right choice on Sunday morning when we go to church. However our worship should not start when the service begins and end when the pastor says “Amen.” Our worship should be continuous. Worship can manifest itself in many ways. Living life as worship is the goal. A life of worship is inclusive of the spiritual disciplines, but it’s more than that. It’s being able to worship God in ALL circumstances of life—the good and the bad. When we had to put our beautiful horse down about a year ago, even through the tears I thanked God for Boda’s life and his time with us. This doesn’t mean that I was not sad. I was sad for my children who have grown up with Boda. I was sad for my husband who was Boda’s servant (not kidding when I say that horse had Scott trained). But I am grateful for the joy that this 1,100-pound, majestic creature brought to this family. I praise God for his life. I am able to worship God in this time of sorrow because I have come to know Him as a God of peace and healing. The only way I am able to know God in this way is through the spiritual disciplines—prayer, community worship, study of the Bible in community and individually, serving, tithing, and spending quiet time with the Lord. Worship living encompasses all of these disciplines and more. I do these things because I worship and love God. I worship and love God because I do these things. How about you? Name the ways in which your life is a life of worship. If you can’t, then it seems you have some worshipping to do!