I have been doing a scriptural study on praise and worship because I think there is such a misunderstanding and disconnect in our churches today. I’m seeing more and more that there is so much around us to distract us from our spiritual self which affects our ability to worship God. I absolutely love technology and its many applications but that can be a huge “zombie” creator. I just think we need to be the masters of it and not the other way around. 1 Corinthians 6:12- “Everything is permissible to me, but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible to me but I will not be mastered by [ANYTHING].”
We were all created to worship something, so we will. The question is do we want to worship someONE who loves us or someTHING that will perish with time?
Psalm 71:8 “My mouth is filled with your praise and with your glory all the time.”
Colossians 4:6a “Let your conversations be always full of grace…..”
These scriptures remind me that I am Gods creation and I have such an incredible opportunity to be a channel of grace and grounding for people. I get so self absorbed that its easy to forget this when someone is rude or inconsiderate to me. It takes wisdom and grace to see that the person who is acting this way is probably being mastered by something negative in their lives. There have been many times when I have allowed negativity to rule me and it does affect the people around me.
James 3 talks about controlling your words and your anger. James 3:17 says, “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
I try to imagine what the world would be like if we all treated one another this way.
Rumi wrote, “Raise your words not voice. It is rain that grows flowers not thunder.”
I do not have control over much in this life, I could die today or tomorrow but I do have control over my attitude and the way in which I choose to interact with Gods creation. Nothing is ever for certain, it can all be destroyed or lost. The only thing that cannot be lost or destroyed is the love that my creator has for me.
Romans 8:37-39 “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Nothing separates us from Gods love, however we have to choose our creator because our creator has already chosen us and will not force us to love. Love can only exist in a willing participant.
The spiritual life 