Worship is often portrayed as being the act of singing praise songs to our Lord. Does music have to build an environment for worship? Can we worship without music? If music were the only way to worship, how fickle it could be! Music has the power to make us "feel". The words and melody invoke pathos within us causing our emotions to react. By creating emotions of awe, praise, and adoration we feel it necessary to pour out from within us this excitement. Because of the power music has over our emotions, and the power emotions have over our actions, I am worried too many people are getting the wrong idea about worship.
Pure worship, would mean that praising God through music is just a symbol of the relationship and faith we have in Him. Singing praise songs to God is just an action. What other actions in our daily life can be equivalent to music?
When a friend invites us to go get wasted instead of saying,"Sure, what time is the party?" could we worship God by saying, "No thanks. A beautiful power, higher than any on this earth, including alcohol and drugs, made my body. I am thankful for this intricate body He made. I will not defile His creation by drinking or taking drugs. Being a bumbling fool does not glorify my Creator. I will present myself a sane, clear minded, beautiful being, not governed by emotion, alcohol, drugs, or a fellow man. I will be governed only by the Lord, for my Creator is the only worthy of praise. He is the only one that governs with love. I am not forced by Him to do anything. Emotion, alcohol, drugs, and men govern only with force. Does that deserve my praise?
He saved and renewed my soul! He created the heavens and earth, He placed pictures of His love around us everywhere! He daily protects me and provides for me! I praise Him for His unconditional love! I have seen how great He is through His action of perfect love, through His death, and I can declare how great He is, not only through song, but by being governed only by Him! By choosing to keep my mind and clean and pure. With every step I take, every thought made my mind, every word said. So thanks anyway, but I won't being getting wasted with you."
Perhaps this is a little too intense for daily conversation, but if I have this knowledge in me, I can worship Him in everything I do. I do not need music to get me in a place of worship, I will use music to express the place of worship within my soul. Because I believe you have to see how great your God is, before you can say how great your God is. "How great is our God?" You tell me, because a song isn't going to tell you.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I absolutely agree with you. Music is not the only means of worship. Actually, I think everything we do should be an act of worship. After all, if God is really who He says He is, He deserves to be praised non-stop. I think even small things, such as doing dishes, can be done in a way that is glorifying to God.
And by the way, I love the quote you have at the bottom of your blog! That is one of my favorite Jane Austen quotes!
I agree with you. True praise can come through prayer, or acts of love, we don't have to sing to worship and love God.
Post a Comment