“And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him” Matt 2:11
Every day… every moment… you are faced with the choice.
The choice of Who you respond to.
Because worship is a response… a response to who someone is.
A response that inherently places you in a position of subjection, submission, humility… a response that declares whom you serve.
Praise, on the other hand, is a response to WHAT someone does.
Like cheering when a player scores a touchdown, a musician plays a song, or your wife puts an amazing meal on the table. (I especially cheer at the last one!)
When the wise men came and visited Jesus as a child the scripture does not say that they gave Him praise… but rather… they worshipped Him.
As a church body we recognize the one with the guitar and the good voice as the “worship leader.” He might lead the worship band or team and call for people to join in the chorus.
And in a corporate sense it makes… well… sense.
Songs allow us to get in harmony… in unison… with one another. It gets us on the same page.
But what of the times during the day when the amps are off, the guitar is in the case, and the only one where we are is us?
Do we cease to respond to Who He is?
Never.
The Bible calls each of us an instrument of ten strings.
And so we are instruments of worship. Each with a unique sound. Each a unique expression of His love… His creativity… His power.
There is an undeniable, incomparable, unstoppable, unmatchable power that comes through a life defined by worship.
When you live a life that responds to Who He is…
You don’t respond to the situation you are in… you respond to the One Who is above it all.
You don’t respond to the one who may lash out at you in anger… you respond to the One Who took the lashes and showed no anger.
You don’t respond to the addiction that wants to shake you… to the illness that wants to take you… or the temptation that wants to break you…
You respond to the One Who has promised to make you….
More than a conqueror… free… saved… strong… whole.
Who will you worship? Who will you make Lord of your life?
That which wants to rule you… to destroy you… to keep you a slave?
Or the One Who loves you so much He laid down His life for you… to raise you up… to free you?
The wise men made the right decision. I think we should follow suit.
SDG
Every day… every moment… you are faced with the choice.
The choice of Who you respond to.
Because worship is a response… a response to who someone is.
A response that inherently places you in a position of subjection, submission, humility… a response that declares whom you serve.
Praise, on the other hand, is a response to WHAT someone does.
Like cheering when a player scores a touchdown, a musician plays a song, or your wife puts an amazing meal on the table. (I especially cheer at the last one!)
When the wise men came and visited Jesus as a child the scripture does not say that they gave Him praise… but rather… they worshipped Him.
As a church body we recognize the one with the guitar and the good voice as the “worship leader.” He might lead the worship band or team and call for people to join in the chorus.
And in a corporate sense it makes… well… sense.
Songs allow us to get in harmony… in unison… with one another. It gets us on the same page.
But what of the times during the day when the amps are off, the guitar is in the case, and the only one where we are is us?
Do we cease to respond to Who He is?
Never.
The Bible calls each of us an instrument of ten strings.
And so we are instruments of worship. Each with a unique sound. Each a unique expression of His love… His creativity… His power.
There is an undeniable, incomparable, unstoppable, unmatchable power that comes through a life defined by worship.
When you live a life that responds to Who He is…
You don’t respond to the situation you are in… you respond to the One Who is above it all.
You don’t respond to the one who may lash out at you in anger… you respond to the One Who took the lashes and showed no anger.
You don’t respond to the addiction that wants to shake you… to the illness that wants to take you… or the temptation that wants to break you…
You respond to the One Who has promised to make you….
More than a conqueror… free… saved… strong… whole.
Who will you worship? Who will you make Lord of your life?
That which wants to rule you… to destroy you… to keep you a slave?
Or the One Who loves you so much He laid down His life for you… to raise you up… to free you?
The wise men made the right decision. I think we should follow suit.
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