05.22.09

Waking up to Worship

Posted in Fear of the Lord, Joyful Work at 8:10 pm by trisha

What gets you up in the morning? Do you awaken to the sound of your alarm or the gentle tapping of a toddler on your arm? As you get out of bed beginning your day, what are you looking forward to? What motivates any of us to get out of our slumber?

Why get up? What do I need?

There are many mornings that I would love to put earplugs in and just sleep! For those of us with young children at home sleep is a rare commodity. Waking up in the middle of the night to feed a baby is part of the job and it is worship. Worship because God loves your baby and when you love them, you are doing what God wants! Waking up to read, exercise, get a jump start on your work day, can all be worship. Whatever season you are in, God has called you to work out your worship.

For me- I have four children and a husband. God has put before me a home to manage and a family to care for. I cant’ just “will power” myself out of bed! That can only last so long before I grow bitter and resentful at what God has called me to! The motivation has to be more than just waking up to do whatever the day requires of me! There is a deeper and more meaningful purpose in our work. There is always a list to accomplish or a schedule for the day. Yet, the list isn’t enough.  Will power is shallow.

I have been pondering heart motivations and desires lately. There is a lot of information and self-help books that are “needs based.” Supposedly, each person has basic “needs.” Furthermore, if those needs are met, the person is supposed to be happy. But met needs grow more needs, ironically. The bucket of human need is never full. We all invent new ways to “need.” Call it desire, needs, dreams, motivations, or even wants.

I think that our hearts are designed for more than meeting our own needs and the needs of others. The “MORE” is worship. We either worship the Creator or Creation. We are motivated certainly from desires, needs, and wants, but they are to be directed toward worship. We worship God when those desires are for His glory, not our own fulfillment. Worship motivates us through and through. My heart is like my brain telling my hand to move. My heart motivates me to worship. My heart also motivates me to fleshly and sinful desires. Thus the war of the heart.

If I worship my home, then my happiness is wrapped up in always improving my home.  Perhaps I worship a friendship– then I have fear that the relationship may produce rejection. If it is my family, then I crave acceptance from and fulfillment in them alone. My heart’s motivations make me act, think, feel, and respond to my environment.  Worship compels the heart!

What compels you?

2 Corinthians 5:14 For the LOVE of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might live no longer for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

Redeemed people want to Love Jesus and others. The Grace of Jesus compels us to get up in the morning and love well. There is most certainly a struggle in this. Nonetheless, Jesus redeems our desires. Our love for Christ controls us, gets us up!

The Gospel frees us. Grace defines us. God lavishes His love on us. Living out the Gospel and embracing the Grace of God is a daily belief and action! In myself, I don’t want to get up and do work. But, in Christ I do! Because Jesus has given me His righteousness, I want to worship Him in my daily actions, thoughts, deeds, relationships, and especially my DESIRES.  He has given me a new heart and new desires. I want to worship Jesus in and through my works. Not so that I can boast, but so that Jesus looks good.

Ephesians 1 4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.

So, what I am saying is this: the only way that I get up in the morning and do anything is purely the Grace of God. He has lavished His love on me! My new heart seeks to worship Jesus in the different ways that He has called me to live. My life will certainly change over time and different things will be expected, yet my Saviour will continue to redeem my godless heart and progressively save me. He has imputed His righteousness on me and I am absolutely grateful. May the Love of Christ control all of us. And may our waking up be joyful service to those God has entrusted us to love!

Can you see your waking up as worship?

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