True Worshipers

Romans 12:1 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”

I've recently been given the opportunity to be in charge of the music ministry in our church and so the concept of worship has been taking up a lot of my brain power these days. I find the term “worship leader” odd because usually it refers to someone who has the role of “song picker, mood shaper, or music leader.” What does it really mean to be a Worship leader?

The truth is, music is really such a small part of worship. Paul is talking about being a “living sacrifice.” Those words actually terrify me a little bit. This is because they allude to the idea that worship is more than those great warm feelings you get when the right song plays at the right time. More than feeling God's presence in a song that hits you hard in that soft spot in your heart. These words allude to worship costing you something and continually costing you something. Not only does worship cost you something, but it involves your whole body! And not just on Sundays! Worship is your whole body. In other words, your whole life. (Unless you can think of a way to do life here without your body.)

Worship is giving your life over to God in such an extreme way that your bodies are “sacrificed” to Him. Meaning bodies and lives given entirely to him to use for His purposes only. Worship is knowing he deserves our sacrifice, and honouring him by giving ourselves fully, completely, with utter loyalty and a death to any rights we think we have. Extreme? Well yes it is.

I believe we are all called to be worshipers, not just the musically gifted. I want my life to be one big act of worship to this creator of the universe who chose to let me be His daughter. I don't want to forget for one minute the miracle that is His passionate pursuit of His creation. That little old me and all my selfishness, impatience, obsessiveness, distracted heart, and judgmental attitudes gets to be changed daily into something that is so much more beautiful. That he wants to change me. That he takes the time to change me. That he speaks to me. That he touches me. That he reveals his joy and love to me in all the beauty and goodness surrounding me. That he reveals his pain and sorrow at all the darkness surrounding me. That he has things he wants me to do. And that he has something to show me, say to me, reveal to me, every moment of every day . . . if I worship. If I surrender this body and this life to the adoration of who He is and to the plans he wants t accomplish through me.

A couple years ago after being inspired at a conference, I bought a beeper.  I set it to vibrate every 10 minutes to remind me to worship. My goal was to learn to live in a continuous state of worship. It was an amazing experience. It is very hard to think negative thoughts of anyone when you are stopping to worship every ten minutes! Amazing things began to happen. I began to see people through God's eyes instead of through the eyes of our circumstances. I began to know what God wanted of me in the little moments as well as the big moments. Lines at the grocery store became chances to bless the people around me. My kids became so beautiful to me that I was frequently moved to tears at the precious gift I'd been given in them. My husband became a wonderful man who loved me so deeply. All of these things were there before, but they looked different as I walked through life as a worshiper.

Worship is not about being at church and singing songs. Worship is going to an exercise class, introducing yourself to someone new, and smiling at the women around you; sharing his presence with joy, not just suffering through the exercises until you can leave. Worship is stopping to cuddle your little toddler who is covered in snot and dirt (and who knows what else!) when she keeps pulling on your leg and yelling as you try to make supper. Worship is being in tune with God's heart to the place where you know what he wants of you in every moment of every day. Worship means you are never off duty. You are called to be living sacrifices. At work, at school, at home, at restaurants, in stores and in those moments when you least want to be a worshiper. Especially in those moments. But the best thing about being a living sacrifice? The more you worship, the less it feels like a sacrifice.  The more it feels like an honour and a privilege. How truly blessed we are. We are His.

Erin N.