It was our first Sunday going to this church after living in Colorado for four years. We were a little disappointed that the lead pastor wasn't speaking, but we were just happy to be there.
I was pleasantly surprised when the sermon got my heart a thinkin.
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship." Romans 12:1
What? I thought worship was just singing and praising God. I love worship. Music is very meaningful to me, and I love to sing praises to my Father. (Even though I often wonder if He really likes to hear it...my singing leaves much to be desired.)
I have even thought about how I worship the Lord by giving praise. The times throughout the day that I remember to look upwards, and give Him thanks. That, to me, is worship.
But offering my body as an act of worship? To offer my body as a living sacrifice? Holy and pleasing? Hmmmmm....
This was interesting to me, so I looked to the Word for more clarification.
"Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness." Romans 6:13
Offer the parts of my body to him as instruments of righteousness?
So if I give Him all of me....that's not just what I should be doing as a Christian, it's also an act of worship?
The dictionary in my Bible defines worship as: to express praise and devotion.
So I can express my praise and devotion to God by offering Him my life?
To paraphrase one of the points the pastor at our church made:
I should be a good wife, and speak respectfully to my husband. I should serve my family, and love them with everything I say and do. Not only because it's the right thing to do, but because it's an act of worship.
I should be a good friend. Put others needs before my own. Point others to the One who can rescue them from the weight of this world. Not only because I love them, but because doing so is an act of worship.
I should be a good mother. Have patience with my daughters, and try to nudge them in the direction of holiness. Not because this is my duty. But because doing so is (say it with me now) an act of worship.
In these crazy days of mothering toddlers, I can still worship my Father in the midst of it all. When I hug my children, when I speak kindly to my husband, when I encourage a friend, or make healthy choices at the grocery store. When I offer myself, my actions, my words, my thoughts to the One who made me. These are all ways to express praise and devotion to my God.
11 comments:
Oh...talk about conviction! Thank you for talking about this today..I needed to hear it. I know that if I remembered that whatever I do is an act of worship, I wonder how different my life would be..hmmm...thank you for allowing my heart to ponder this!
responding to your comment at my blog-
I know this poem and memorized it in high school (more than 16 yrs ago).
Very fitting.
As children bring their broken toys with tears for us to mend
I brought my broken dreams to God because he was my friend
But instead of leaving Him in peace to work alone
I hung around and tried to help with ways that were my own
At last I snatched them back and cried, "How could you be so slow"
"My child," he said, "What could I do you never did let go."
There are always new things to clench,huh.
This is great! I am a big advocate of being able to serve God in everyday tasks. I love this. Wish I could have heard that sermon (I was working in our toddler room - but I did get a great converstion with a woman who was new to our church!)
I love that your worship pastor gave the sermon on worship!
Thanks for sharing what he had to say!
This is great stuff! It does leave a lot to be pondered. I never thought of worship in this way either, and will have a new outlook as I take on today.
I call up these verses alot. As a stay at home mother, there are times when I feel that I am not doing anything of any importance. But when I read that my every move should be an act of worship to the One Who Made Me, it makes my job (which can be mundane at times - ie laundry, dishes, carpool, etc) become of the utmost importance.
This is Romans 12:1ish The Message
" here's what I want you to do , God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life- your sleeping,eating, going-to-work, and walking around life- and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't be so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out."
"Worship is the highest occupation of any man" Max Lucado
Thanks, Denise!! I have a copy of the Message, but didn't think to reference it. I love what it says...it pretty much just sums up what the pastor said.
"Don't be so well adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking." Whoa...
"Instead fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out." This is really good stuff!!
Love it!
Ohhhhh, this is a GOOD one, Renee. You are getting my head on straight for me today -- I can look at my SUPER fun car trip as worship -- right? :) Putting others' needs and wants first, etc. Leaving with a good thought from you!!
I'm coming back to the heart of worship---
because it's all about You, it's all about You, Jesus.
I'm sorry Lord for the thing I made it, when it's all about You, it's all about You, Jesus.
~Matt Redman
lyrics from The Heart of Worship
This was a wonderful post. It obviously hit a nerve, too. It's funny that we use the word "sacrifice" when we mention things that we are "giving up" for others. Sometimes with regret or resentment, feeling "put upon" as mothers. But if we take those things and use that very word to remind us that it is an act of worship, even our attitudes can be transformed. Somewhere in the Bible (blanking here...) the "sacrifice of praise" is mentioned. Boy, I've felt like that before... there are times I don't feel like praising God, but when I do it anyway, out of obedience and love, it can be offered as a "sacrifice," and it is healing. I think we could do a whole study on that one word alone!
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