This blog isn’t going to have pictures or inspiring words to make you feel all fuzzy inside. When God lays something on your heart you have to share it, and here it is.
Thank you for the cross, Lord.
Thank you for the price you paid.
Bearing all my sin and shame, in love you came
And gave Amazing Grace.
Thank you for this love, Lord.
Thank you for the nail-pierced hands.
Wash me in Your cleansing flow, now all I know…
Your forgivness and embrace.
Worthy is the Lamb
seated on the throne.
We crown You now with many crowns
You reign victorious!
High and lifted up
Jesus, Son of God.
The darling of Heaven, crucified…
Worthy is the Lamb.
These are the lyrics to a song we sang in church yesterday, both in English and Romanian. Some of you may know this song as it is common to church worship services. Have you actually taken the time to think about the words that you sing during those times?
Praise and worship; we thank the Lord for how great He is and all that He does in our lives, and we honor Him for who He is. What has this time of the service become? If you know the words better you tend to sing them with more confidence, and during those you may not know as well you start swaying and singing quieter as if in a state of awe. Many times I like to just stand perfectly still and really make myself thing about what the words are without even trying to sing. It’s not about the singing anyway. How often do you actually mean what you say? How often do you not even know what the metaphors of the song really mean? Worship isn’t about singing the words; it’s about your heart spending time with God’s. He couldn’t care less if there were words or music playing because that’s not what He wants. He just wants you. You’re not impressing Him by singing louder or lifting your hands to show that you really are in church…get over yourself.
God wants our heart, that’s it. Worship is the outward expression of how you feel toward the Lord; giving him the honor He deserves. It comes straight from the heart. What does your worship say about your heart? Who is more important in your worship, you or God? Do you care more about what those around you think about you? In the bible when people worshipped the Lord you see time and time again how they prostrate themselves with their faces to the ground. Do you think they really cared how they looked to others? What would happen if during your next worship time, no matter if that’s in your room or at church, you got down, face to the floor, and poured out your love and adoration for the One who created you, loves you, saved you, and just wants to be with you forever? Did thoughts of, “people will think I’m nuts,” or something along that line come to your mind? What about God, did what He would think about that come to mind?
I’ll be the first to raise my hand and say I’ve been guilty of this. I don’t think I even grasp the concept of what I’m writing about. All I know is that while I was standing in church singing the above song, the Lord started asking me questions about the words I sang. “What is He worthy of? Do we give it to Him?” I don’t have all the answers and don’t claim to, but that moment really got me thinking about what “worship” has become to this generation.
A synonym of worship is adoration. That word doesn’t quite roll off the tongue as easily. I challenge you to use that word as a replacement to worship and see if it doesn’t make you think a bit more as you enter into those times with the Lamb who truly is worthy of our praise.
