Worship

I've led worship this fall and winter for the junior and senior high youth groups on Wednesday and Thursday nights, and most weeks I feel like I struggle with really "leading" some of the teens to worship. Sometimes I wonder what I could do to motivate worship and push them to sing with a heart of worship, not just absentmindedly mouth lyrics or sit bored in their chairs not singing at all. I feel dumb repeatedly telling them to "think about the words". And "God is so cool! Sing this song with me about how great he is!" honestly isn't the most eloquent or effective way to motivate worship. Obviously I can't change hearts, but obviously my mind never stops at mere wondering, so of course, I've had to think through this, ask God about it ,and wrestle through it myself. I think my first thought in this process was, "What motivates my own heart to worship?"

I think the greatest cause of worship for me is looking at the cross and all that Jesus accomplished there. Then the combination of that and looking at who I was and who God is making me to be makes my heart nearly burst with worship. There is no way I deserve God's mercy in saving me and His faithfulness to finish the work he has begun in me. It's all His doing!

Oh, my Savior is so great! Any time I hear a sermon on the cross and Salvation and what was accomplished, I can't keep from smiling, and everything in me wants to scream, "God, you are so awesome! Look what you did!" (And then I feel like those words are so inadequate and that I'm treating God like a two year old who's just learned to recognize the letter 'S'. )

Understanding that makes me realize that without the teens first having a right relationship with God, no one can stir them to worship God. A heart lost in sin cannot worship God. It can read and sing words, but it can't worship!

But what about those who know Jesus as Savior? What stirs their heart? What else fills me with worship?

Have you ever had a, “Thank you, God!” moment when something works out unexpectedly well, and you KNOW without a doubt that God was behind that, regardless whether you had prayed about the situation? God’s been showing me this last winter that He provides those moments just for His own glory-to fill our hearts with worship and to cause us to declare his wonderful work to others! (“For we cannot help but speak of the things we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:20 “Telling…the praises of the Lord, and his power and the wonderful works that He has done.” Psalm 78:4

But what about those moments in life where things don’t work out the way we want them to? Do those moments cause us to worship as well? Sometimes, worship is a choice based on faith in the promise of God to work all things out for His glory and the good of His people (Romans 8:28, Hebrews 11). But sometimes, the oddest things can cause our hearts to worship even here on earth.

Like cold, long winters (or even several months of mild winter!) which stir my heart to worship because of the joy and excitement of warm, spring weather.

Or bad weather while driving which causes worship because of the safety God provides.

And even if God does not provide safety, car accidents fill my heart with worship every subsequent journey of safety.

Even being sick causes me to worship because of the feeling of health and energy afterwards.

Looking at my sin causes me to worship, not in a "taking advantage of grace" sort of way, but in realizing that even when I mess up, I have a great Savior who is faithful to forgive!

All those wonderful moments when my heart is full of worship would not be half as wonderful to me without the difficult situation first. Because of the little moments God provides after the little pain, I know by faith that I can trust my God who is faithful to provide even greater joy-whether in heaven or eventually on earth-for the greater pain and struggles.

Maybe the reason our hearts aren't constantly filled with worship is because we choose to focus on the mundane- de-spiritualizing life and not recognizing how much God is behind every joy or struggle we face.

“[Your mercies] are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness!” Lamentations 3:23