One of my favorite, most recent songs is “We Sing Hallejuah” by Jonathan Thulin. Because I first heard it last month in Honduras as well as experiencing the Lord in new ways that month, it will always remind me of Honduras.
Part of our ministry was participating in two churches. They each had service twice a week and then one had a prayer service once a week. We attended at least 2 to 3 services a week. At first I thought “this is too much. I need time to myself or I need time by myself with the Lord”. As the month continued, the Lord taught me a new way to view church, and He showed me the wrong way I was viewing it.
So often in America, we view church as important but as another thing on our calendar. We might have community group or prayer group another time during the week as well. If we put anything else in our schedule, even if it is with the church or about the Bible, we would be over commiting.
I get it. I did this ALL the time.
I would “over book” myself with good things that were about God. But my motives weren’t necessarily ABOUT God. I lived my life around what I wanted or what would be fun. Yes, God was a big part of my life but I was still adding Him into my week instead of making Him THE priority. Everything depended on if I could handle adding more to my already set schedule. How many of us decide last minute to roll out of bed and go to the later church service because we missed the first service?
Here, the people are just like you and me. They have realized their need for Jesus and love God with all their hearts. But they live in dirt-floored homes, have no or little electricity, some walk 3 hours to a grocery store, they have no access to a hospital closer than about 2+ hours away, they plug their phones in when they come to church because it is the only access to an outlet, etc. They have much much less than even the poorest of Americans, but we are all the same in Christ. When they go to church, they seek Him passionately, intently as if they were litterally in the Holy throne room. That time with Him is so precious.
Through this God began to show me how important HE needs to be in my life. I was still viewing all the church services that we were asked to attend as a burden or taking time away from other things that I condsidered “resting” or even spending time with God. I didn’t view going to church as spending time with Him.
I am not saying to over commit your life with “God” things and not allow for rest. Or to not take time individually with the Lord.
I am suggesting that we test our motives and heart behind the things we do for God. I realized that I didn’t necessarily go to church every week because I couldn’t wait to praise my Daddy with His other children. It was an automatic in my week. I didn’t think twice about it. It is just what I did because I loved God. I thought it was out of obedience, but what I realized this month is that it was because I had scheduled it into my week. Not purely out of obedience.
I want to be as excited to worship God in church as I am to intently seek Him in prayer, read His Word or have private worship sessions. Every moment of spending time with my Creator should be precious and holy. I want to desire that above all things, just like the people I worshiped alongside with in Honduras.
“In every nation, in every language we will proclaim it, Hallejuah!”
