I notice that when I put on praise and worship music and spend some time listening and singing the words, and take time to focus on God and thank Him for loving me and for all of His countless blessings in my life, it changes my whole day for the better.
I think I know why. We were created for worship. That sounds strange, but I think it’s true. The problem is, we often worship things that are not worthy of our worship. We worship our favorite sports figures, we pursue our interests to the point of obsession, and we crush on celebrities, none of which can compare to the One who created us. I am not saying it is bad to enjoy the things I mentioned, but when we neglect worshipping God, we leave ourselves more open to dysfunction, because we are not worshipping Who we were created to worship, or fulfilling what we were created to be.
From the outside, this might sound like a God who desires to be worshipped is arrogant and self-serving, but nothing could be further from the truth. This same God loves us so much that He sent His only beloved Son to die for us so that we could have eternal life. This same God pursues us and wants us to have the blessings of an abundant life that can only come from a relationship with Him. By abundant, I don’t mean being financially blessed, but the blessing of a life filled with joy and peace no matter what happens.
Philippians 4:6-8 tells us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
If we keep our focus on the things of God, it helps us to be able to withstand any storm that this life can bring. God created the athlete to excel, He put in each of us the passion we have to pursue our interests, and He gifted each celebrity with their talents. Ephesians 3:20 tells us, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,” Enjoy these pursuits, but don’t forget to worship the One who created all things, including you. If you do that, you will be blessed beyond your imagining!
Psalm 100:1-5 (ESV)
A Psalm for giving thanks.
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!
For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
Nancy graduated from Dallas Christian College and earned her master’s degree from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. She is an adjunct faculty member at Dallas Christian College and she and her husband Phil are members of the Church of the Nazarene in Carrollton, Texas where they serve in various capacities. Her passion for evangelism led her to author a book, The Second Greatest Commandment Meets the Great Commission: How to Love Your Neighbors to Christ. Visit Nancy’s website love2christ.com to learn more about her book and how to share your faith. Her recently released Advent Devotional is available for the Christmas season: Taking Back Advent: Moving from the Mundane to the Miraculous on Amazon in Kindle and paperback.