When it comes to worship, have these thoughts ever crossed your mind?
"I just wasn't in the mood."
"I didn't feel like it."
"I had a long day."
"I wasn't feeling the songs."
Yes, yes, yes, and yes. I know that at some point in time, I've had these thoughts cross my mind. "Thoughts" is a nice word. It would be more accurate (although a bit harsh) to say they were lousy excuses for holding back from God everything he deserves. And I've been guilty MANY times. The truth is when I'm tired, God's still good and beautiful and worthy. When I don't like the music, God's still loving and powerful and deserving.
You're not always going to feel like worshipping God. When I say "worship," I'm not just talking about music (although this is one expression of our worship). I'm talking about the other things we do to show God we are living for him - like reading our Bible, praying, sharing our faith, giving a portion of our money (called "tithing"). You're not always going to FEEL like spending time with God or obeying what you know is right. But check out this verse in Hebrews. It's called a "sacrifice" of praise, and that's exactly what it is. When you sacrifice something, you give up the right to get your own way... you set aside what you want or feel or prefer for the benefit of someone else. Sacrificing is usually not easy. It's typically inconvenient, and sometimes it even hurts.
Sometimes we think worship is about getting good, warm, fuzzy feelings. I'd venture to say that when it comes to worship and our feelings, it's not always about the good feelings we get from it, but rather about the negative feelings we have to overcome for it.
QUESTION: How have your feelings kept you from giving God the worship he deserves? How can you overcome those feelings?
Love you. Here for you.
Pastor Courtney
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