Heart of Worship

These words have been so heavy on my heart lately, as the message was spoken this past Sunday morning during church. My Pastor's wife told us this message that God laid on her heart.

We as Christians become so content with our normal routines that we are calloused. Our heart is hardened, and we don't want to move from where we are comfortable with being. But that's not what God wants from us. He wants us to step out of our comfort zones, step out of what has become normal to us, and step into a new encounter with Him. He's calling us back to the heart of worship, back into a passionate and true relationship with Him. A relationship based on our honest love for Him, and desire to please Him. Not one based on what He does--or what He can do for us.

The sad part is, we are all guilty of this.
Every single one of us.

We get into these daily routines and become so comfortable with how things are, and don't realize that God is actually calling us to do so much more. That's the beauty of His grace though! His grace EMPOWERS us to do more than we could ever have imagined! Our complacency tells us we're fine where we are, our sin tells us we've gone too far, our shame tells us we can't turn to Him. But His beautiful, unending, wonderful, amazing grace tells us that we can. His grace gives us the strength to get back up, even when it seems like we can't. His grace tells us that no matter how far we've went, how hard our heart has become, that we can turn things back around with His help.

Ezekiel 36:26 "And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart."

As I listened to the words of this song, I became so encompassed with it's lyrics. It's a song we have sung for as long as I can remember. I could easily sing the words to you without a second thought. It's called The Heart of Worship. Many times we get carried away and just mindlessly recite the words, without actually thinking about their meaning. But the message of these words is so strong, that we should definitely take a moment and focus on their meaning.

When the music fades
All is stripped away
And I simply come
Longing just to bring
Something that's of worth
That will bless Your heart
I'll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You're looking into my heart

I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus
I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it
When it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus

King of endless worth
No one could express
How much You deserve
Though I'm weak and poor
All I have is Yours
Every single breath
I'll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You're looking into my heart

Take a moment today and spend some time with God. Ask Him to bring you back to the heart of worship, and to soften your heart. We've all become calloused at some point. It's time for us to step up as Christians, out of our comfort zones, and into a new relationship with Him.

It's time for us to do more.

Some Things Are Worth The Wait

Dating seems to be a must in today's society, especially as a teenager. We feel as if we must be in a relationship, and that it can be with whoever, and whenever. If you're not in a relationship, you're looked at as weird, or an outcast. So, we rush into relationships without knowing what we're getting into, or who we really are. This is completely wrong.

God never intended for relationships to be rushed, and He never intended for us to just date around. Dating isn't even mentioned in the Bible. But, in this society, we have this idea that we can just date around and see what we want. Now, that seems like a novel and great idea, but it's not right according to biblical standards.

We should seek God first, and develop a strong relationship with Him. God tells us this in Matthew 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

A relationship with Jesus is the most important thing that anyone should pursue. As true disciples of Christ, we should seek Him first, and His will for our life, and He will provide the relationship He wants us to have. The will of God should be our greatest desire, which will in turn make life's decisions easier.

Luke 9:23 "Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."

John 3:30 "He must increase, but I must decrease."

It can be extremely tough to find a Christ centered relationship, especially in our world today, but the right relationship is worth the wait. Don't settle for less than what God wants for you. Don't date someone because of how cute they are, how sweet they are, the clothes they wear, or the car they drive. Don't get me wrong, he or she could be a genuinely good person, but if they don't truly have Christ in their heart, they are not worth your time.

2 Corinthians 6:14 (GOD'S WORD Translation) says, "Stop forming inappropriate relationships with unbelievers. Can right and wrong be partners? Can light have anything in common with darkness?"

As humans, we are born with a sinful nature, and we will undoubtedly have temptations. Life is really hard sometimes, and being a true follower of Christ is even harder. Making the right decisions despite what our flesh wants can be exceptionally difficult, but if we place God's desires before our own it will be second nature. God has our best interest in mind at all times, and He loves us unconditionally.

Hebrews 10:36 "You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.^"

Look at it this way. God is the creator of the whole universe. He's the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. He knows the past, and He knows the future because He's already there. He knows us inside and out because He created us in His image. He loves us unconditionally, and has a plan for our lives that will make us the happiest. He always has our best interest in mind. So, why would we want to settle for something that isn't the best for us? Why would we allow ourselves to choose something that we think is good for us, when Biblically it isn't right, and will only bring us hurt and heartache? Why would we settle for someone who isn't a true Christ follower, when God tells us in His word that He has something better for us?

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.^"

The sad thing is, most people still choose the lesser of the two choices they are given because they only focus on this life. They only focus on these 120 years of living, and how they can be happy right now. We live in a fast-paced world, where everything has to come quick and easy, or we don't want it. Not often do people still genuinely want to work for things, and wait for the things that will truly make them the happiest.

Colossians 3:1-4 says "If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."

God does not want to hurt us, or keep us from having fun. He just wants what's best for us because we are His children, and He loves us so very much. By spending time with Him in prayer, worship, and His word, we will begin to see the path He wants us to take. Before you know it, you'll be in a place where you're happier than you've ever been, and you will know without a shadow of a doubt that it was because of God, and that you chose to follow His will rather than your own.

So wait it out. Seek God full-heartedly, and find out what He wants you to do. Live your life being single, and enjoy it, until He brings you the person that will make you the happiest according to His word. Find someone who is seeking after Christ in the same way you are, so that you can grow together.

"A relationship where you can pray, worship, and passionately pursue God together, is always worth the wait." Adam Cappa