21 Feb I can’t…
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.”
Psalm 150:6 NIVUK
“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
Colossians 3:17 NIVUK
This is one of the more common reasons (or excuses) that I hear from people who are struggling to worship God. Whatever it is, singing, dancing, playing an instrument or simply speaking out, some of us seem to think that we can’t connect with God via praise and worship unless we have a Britain’s-God-Talent-worthy skill to give back to Him. This is completely not true, and the fact that mankind was created to worship and commune with God, should tell us that we all have it within us. Most of us are able to move our lips and talk, so for us there’s no excuse not to sing either!
I want to now dispel the myth that worship is only something you can do by singing or dancing, or something you can only do in a church building. Praise and worship is a lifestyle. With a humble and righteous heart, we can worship God in everything we do, as long as our attitude, work ethic, and standards we strive for glorify Him.
That’s right, you can worship God at work by being diligent, meeting targets, working as a team, being submissive to authority (bearing in mind that God is the ultimate authority!), and going the extra mile to be kind and helpful to customers or clients.
You can worship God at home by upholding God’s principles, treating family members how the Word commands us, and providing a warm and hospitable environment for guests (including those we don’t like!)
In essence, living a Kingdom lifestyle – that is, living as a child of God with integrity, obeying His word, living in victory, and showing His love to all around us is what we’re put on earth to do. This is showing God that we put Him first. This is the true meaning of worship.
That doesn’t mean to say that church worship is pointless. The Bible specifically encourages the coming together of people in corporate worship. I know that some of us may find it uncomfortable at times, but we do it together to encourage one another to be free as we praise in one accord, and what’s more we get the benefit of seeing God move on a much bigger scale! We also build are faith as we see God move in other people’s lives.
Finally, for those of us who do have God-given giftings in music or other creative artforms, we have a responsibility (as with any other gift) to use them for the glory of God, and not for the glory of ourselves! Challenge yourself today to use everything you have for God’s glory, and nothing else!
“‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: “God, I thank you that I am not like other people – robbers, evildoers, adulterers – or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.” ‘But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” ‘I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.’”
Luke 18:10-14 NIVUK
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