'Someone' must have really not wanted me to get this blog post out, because I tried to write it for about 4 months and just couldn't. I knew this was what the Lord wanted me to write about, but I either found myself to be completely drained of energy when I had the time to write, or I just didn't know what to say on the subject. Now finally, here we are. Breakthrough...
Worship - The feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity. To honor or respect (someone or something) as a god."
If you go to different churches around the country, you will find that worship and music styles vary greatly. Some sing only from the old hymnals on the pews, others write their own songs and still others use the latest jams from christian radio. All are fine and dandy depending on your preference for music. But the purpose of worship isn't to take up a portion of time in a church service. We are supposed to sing those songs TO God with our whole heart! This is where it gets personal for me. I come from a musical family. My mother and her entire family, which included my grandfather, grandmother and 3 uncles have all been involved or still are involved in music. My grandfather sang in the Marine Corps choir, and he and my grandmother sang in local musicals. My grandmother has sang in her church choir for something like 50+ years. All 3 of my uncles were in the Moline boys choir which travels all over the country to sing at events and my mother was classically trained, sang in choir and back up vocals on an album as well. You could say that music and singing is in my blood. Naturally, it speaks to me and always has. So maybe this is why it comes so easily for me to get closer to God in this way. It has also given me strong opinions about the worship in some of the churches I have been to and the level of participation, or lack there of, of the congregants.
Uh oh... No, I'm not going to get all judgy now about the way you worship in church or your car, or wherever. But I have noticed a few things and what it says about those people. I don't care if you roll down the aisles singing at the top of your lungs or stand as still as possible barely opening your mouth. What matters is your where your heart is while you're doing it. Are you thinking about the football game? Are you counting down the songs in the bulletin until it's over? Or are you thinking about the words you are singing and their meaning, how they pertain to your life, situation or feelings? Even if you think your voice sounds like a dying goat with laryngitis, you can still praise him and show your respect and love for Him. The Good Book (AKA your Bible) says to make a "joyful noise" (Psalm 100:1) to the Lord. It doesn't say that it has to be beautiful. So lift those hands, even if you're the only one and sing your heart out to God! The way you worship says things about you. I realize that some only try to make it look good without their heart being in it. But for the most part, at least from my experience, the ones who are worshipers, or who are raising their hands or the ones making the music are usually very in love with Jesus. Don't get me wrong here. I'm not saying that you can't really love God if you don't make an outward physical expression during songs. I'm just saying that body language says more than most people realize. Are you standing frozen in place with your arms crossed over your chest? Are you tapping along to the beat and swaying as the music plays on? What is your posture during this time when we are praising the God who created the heavens and the earth?
Psalm 100:4 says, "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name!" We know that there are countless places in the Bible that talk about worship. But why is it important and how can it bring us closer to God? Being a Christian isn't just about following all the rules because that's what the book says we should do, no. It's about a love relationship. As with any healthy relationship, you do things for that other person because you love them. You like to make them happy and when they ask you not to do things, hopefully, we don't do them out of respect. Or in the case with parents, we don't do those things because we know they want what is best for us and want to keep us safe. So it is the same with God. When we worship him with our hearts and make him the focus of our adoration, it gets his attention. Have you ever sang a love song to someone or witnessed someone doing so? When that adoration is reciprocated, it draws in the heart of the one being sung to. The two get physically and emotionally closer, the love and affection deepens, their attention is captured. So it is with God. He loves us beyond our human capacity to love another human. (Think about that one for a moment) And when we step out in faith like that, pouring out our hearts to him in song, he can't help but come closer. We begin to feel the weight of His presence, His peace and love for us becomes tangible and if we press in, we literally enter into a supernatural place with Him. Yes. Literally. Why do you think that every healing service, revival, or evangelistic conference starts out with worship? Because it ushers us into the throne room of God and in His presence, things happen. Really awesome things.
So what does all this have to do with being an empath? Well for starters, we tend to be sensitive to the supernatural realm. Which means God's presence can get really intense in the best possible way. Personally, I have never felt Him closer or stronger during any other act like I have during corporate worship. I can feel His presence while I pray, when I read The Word or worship by myself at home. But there is something about being in a room full of other people who's hearts are on fire for God and where the Holy Spirit is allowed to do his thing, that He really shows up! When you are in that moment, it's like all of the junk in the air and in our minds and hearts are quieted and we can hear God's voice so clearly. We can know His heart without hearing any words and many times we are brought to tears because His love for us is tangible right then. It is at those times when people get ministered to. Healings, miracles and deliverance happen. Broken hearts are mended in His presence. We surrender ourselves and our hearts are drawn closer to His. These are the kinds of things that can happen during worship. It's like our souls get the drink of water they have so desperately needed for so long. This is why it's so important to press in! These are just a few of the reasons why it's so important! I once saw a meme where there were two guys attending a church where most everyone had their hand raised during a song. The one guy asked the other why they were all doing this and he replied, "better reception." It's funny, but it's also so true.
Yet another reason it is so important- When it's hardest to pray, pray anyway. And when it's hardest to worship, do it all the more. Because worship is a very powerful weapon. It takes our eyes off our problem and puts them on the problem solver. When we worship God in the midst of our storm, he shows up to calm the waves. Praising God during a crisis or difficult season would seem counter intuitive to most. But there is freedom in this type of worship. God is still worthy no matter what is going on in our lives. God is still good no matter what storm we are walking through. And this is coming from a woman who has walked through challenges and storms that most people only hear about on the news. Literally. I have actually been on the news before. But not for any of the reasons I'm about to mention. I lost my father to cancer when I was 8. I was raised by my severely mentally ill mother who, for a time, was also a drug addict and an alcoholic. I gave birth to my first child at 14 and was in foster care from 16 to 18. I married a narcissistic, drug addict and con artist at 20, only because I had no where else to go to leave him. That hell lasted a total of 7 years. At 28 I married the man of my dreams and lost him 8 months later to a hospital accident when our youngest two children were 14 months old and 10 weeks old. You could say I've had some rough moments. People have asked me how I got through it and all I can say is "Jesus". I was raised in church as a child but didn't follow the Lord my whole life. I'm sure that if I had, I could have saved myself some heartache! I can also say that if I hadn't gone through all the craziness, that I wouldn't have the relationship with God that I have now. He has brought me through. He has strengthened me. And he will do the same for you. He has blessed me with several spiritual gifts, the biggest one perhaps being empathy. Because I have been there. I can relate to a lot as well as feel other's pain as if it were my own. It's in these broken places where God is able to minister to us, if you will just come to Him.
"Sing to the Lord all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. For great is the Lord and most worthy of all praise; he is to be feared above all gods." 1 chronicles 16:23-25
Until next time my friends
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