The past few months of my life feel like they’ve been filled with a certain seven-letter word. This word flies in the face of my natural heart’s desire. It’s the opposite of everything the culture promotes. This word has challenged me, convicted me, encouraged me, and given me incredible hope. When I focus on living this word out, I have undeniable rest, contentment, and joy in my heart.
What’s the word?
WORSHIP
True worship is recognizing that God alone is worthy of all glory, praise, and honor. Worship is responding to Him with awe because He is:
- Creator
- Sustainer
- Ruler
- Seated on the throne
- King
I desire to live a lifestyle of worship, acknowledging that God is my King, and He is ultimately in control of this world and of my life. When I live in light of those truths, my attitude, perspective, and actions dramatically change. I realize I am a creation of the God of the universe and my entire life should be lived to make His name known.
Self-centered vs. God-centered
We live in a self-worshiping, self-glorifying, self-promoting, selfie-filled world. From Hollywood to Instagram to our own hearts, the push is to promote ourselves. God is usually left out of the picture, and we zero in on making ourselves look good.
God has been reminding me of how great He is and how small I truly am. He is God. He is worthy of all my praise. When we live a life that says “look at how awesome I am,” we’re acting like total fools. We aren’t awesome or worthy of any worship. Not one bit. Only our Creator and Savior is worthy.
It’s time to regroup and live a God-centered lifestyle.
When we worship God and acknowledge His incredible greatness, we will be filled with peace, joy, trust, hope, and rest. God created us with the ability to worship, and He created us to find ultimate satisfaction by fixing our eyes on Him.
First Chronicles 16:23 commands, “Sing to the LORD, all the earth! Tell of his salvation from day to day.”
In other words . . . WORSHIP!
My hope for you in 2017 is that you’ll recognize just how big, awesome, majestic, and great God truly is and respond with a lifestyle of worship.
Resources to Help You Worship
Here are some incredible resources to help you live a lifestyle of worship. These are some of my favorites!
Verses to Focus On
Write these on an index card and stick them where you can see them or set them as your lock screen on your phone. When we focus on who God truly is, our hearts naturally respond with worship.
I highly encourage you to take some time to read Revelation 4–5. Wow! It’s an incredible picture of Christ and His perfect worthiness to receive worship. Here are two of my favorite verses.
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created” (Rev. 4:11).
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” (Rev. 5:12).
Songs to Sing
“Victorious” by Third Day
Here are a few of my favorite lyrics from this song:
In all the heavens, there is One
Who conquered death alone and brought our freedom.
Your throne will last throughout all time
Let all the nations bow and bring You praise.
“This I Believe” by Hillsong Worship
This song declares:
I believe in God our Father
I believe in Christ the Son
I believe in the Holy Spirit
Our God is three in one.
I believe in the resurrection
That we will rise again
For I believe in the name of Jesus.
“All I Have is Christ” by Sovereign Grace Music
I love this one because it forces me to focus on the fact that everything I have ultimately belongs to God. Here’s a sample:
Now, Lord, I would be Yours alone
And live so all might see.
The strength to follow Your commands
Could never come from me.
Oh Father, use my ransomed life
In any way You choose.
And let my song forever be
My only boast is You.
Articles to Read
“The Greatest Thing You Could Do Today” by Francis Chan
Here’s a sneak peek:
God literally determines whether or not you take another breath. “He himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything” (Acts 17:25). Could anything be more important than meeting with the One who decides if you live through this day? Could anything be better? How can we not make time to be with the Maker of time?
What plans do you have today that you think are so important that you would race past the Creator to get to them?
“A Theology of Worship” by Kevin DeYoung
This post gets right to the point:
There is nothing more important in life than worship. We all worship something or someone. The only question is whether we will worship the right One in the right way.
It’s time to live in light of these truthsb
By Bethany Baird
