Monday thru Saturday in 2020 has felt like keeping the bottle cap on a highly carbonated, furiously shaken beverage bottle. To remove the cap in my own power (which I have) is to spew something that is less gracious, kind, and compassionate than I desire to be as a Jesus follower. Remaining strong enough to not remove the cap and weak enough to allow the strength of Christ to provide pockets of air to prevent explosion under pressure is a tension that through discipline will yield good fruit in the days to come.
But it is in worship with God’s people — singing and playing, dancing and shouting, waiting and praying — where I often sense the Holy Spirit gently removes the cap to allow all that is in me to burst forth . . . He takes it all, but instead of the gross imperfections of my offerings, the helper catches it all in the rivers of mercy that flow from His throne. In his timing and by his power I pour out my soul to God, and Jesus my King carries what would otherwise be of no use to God and offers it wholly and acceptably to Him.
It’s in Christ-honoring, Word saturated worship that what would come out of me in my own strength is transformed into awe, adoration, and thanksgiving.
In worship my fears become songs of hope;
my worry turns to worth giving;
my anger is moved to passionate reverence;
my anxiety is lifted and so are my eyes;
my pride is resized;
my control problem controlled;
my hurry lingers in His presence;
my frustration turns to fervency . . . .
And when I do what I was created to do — when I pour out my soul by the power of the Spirit and not my own…
I am changed.
I am undone.
I am encouraged.
I am defended.
I am saved.
I am forgiven.
I am called.
I am sent.
I am winning.
I am loved.
Because in true worship, I am being transformed into the likeness of my Savior.
He lives in worship, and I want to - NO! - need to live there too.
One day I will without having to choose between good and evil, or right and wrong . . .
For now I’m invited to live Monday-Saturday and as often as I can gather with God’s people in the life giving worship of heaven. Without it I worship lesser things, or worse — myself.
But when I choose to live in his grace, and walk in His Word, I see and believe that His kingdom will be on earth as it is in heaven, and I am living out my union with Christ.
Worship is warfare, and without it . . . I’m losing the war.