How Do You Worship?

So many wonderful words were spoken this weekend at Women of Joy.  Life-affirming, encouraging, focusing, prayer-filled words.  Our words are so important!  They can build, break, or destroy.

Yesterday after school my son and I had a battle.  It was a horrible way to come down from the high of the weekend.  It was a fight that had us both crying and feeling horrible.  Oh God . . . shut my mouth.  Just nail it down, glue it, close it, destroy it . . . don't let my mouth destroy someone else.

I've thought for the last couple of days about something the worship leader said this weekend.  He was referring to "church battles."  Not spiritual battles, the kind that are written on and taught about in the Bible.  But earthly battles of my way or no way, my songs or no songs, my church or no church.

He challenged us in this way:  we need to be able to worship without song.

Let me wrap my mind around this:  The song leader wanted us to worship without song.  Wow!  I can't stop thinking about that. 

But it's a good truth to wrap around!  Because no matter what kind of music you like, the worship is not in the song.  There are two elements of worship:  God and my heart.  I can sing the most beautiful song in the world to God, and He could be disgusted with me because He knows it's fake and phony.  Or I can say nothing.  And have the most beautiful worship in the world.

When I look up the word "worship" in the Bible, I don't find songs very often.  (Except in Psalms, of course!)  But look at it yourself.  From Genesis to Revelation, music is not a condition of worship.  Words are not a condition of worship.  The conditions:  a worshiper.  And the receiver of worship.

More often than not, you'll find the phrase "bow down and worship" when the Bible talks about it.  And that tells me everything I need to know.  The Bible tells me that it's about my heart, not my mouth.  In fact, my mouth often gets in the way.

Worship songs and services are awesome, and I feel so close to God when my hands are lifted with other believers, praising Him and His goodness.  But true worship is a lifestyle.  We can worship at home.  We can worship at Walmart!!  We can worship at work.  It's not about a place.  It's about our hearts.

Where will your worship today?  How will you do it?  Don't let your attitudes, words, or even songs get in the way of true worship of our wonderful God, who loves and gives with such graciousness I can't even begin to understand.

"Come, let us bow down in worship,
       let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;
 for he is our God
       and we are the people of his pasture,
       the flock under his care."  Psalm 95:6-7