Why I Worship

What Is Worship, Why Do We Worship, How to Worship

Where Did I Go Wrong?

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Today, I find myself slightly discouraged and contemplating the question “Where did I go wrong?”

Don’t be alarmed. I’m not going to need drugs or therapy over it, but I am curious to hear your thoughts on this.

I learned recently of a situation in which I was evidently wrong in my attitude toward someone, they became offended, and I didn’t even know of it.

Now that I have found out about it, a few things are running through my head and heart about how I am dealing with it.

I’ll be transparent and share some of them with you.

First, my flesh says “Why didn’t this person tell me this before now?” or “Why did they not tell me this when it happened?”

Then, I hear my mind saying “They were just looking for something to get mad about!” or “They just don’t know how to handle things like an adult!”

Then, I realize that my “self-preservation” mechanism has kicked in and I’m just allowing pride to raise its ugly head in me.

I know how to handle this with the person (of course, go to them and make it right), but how do I deal with the feelings it causes inside me?

How do you handle these feelings? How do you navigate through areas of conflict? How do deal with yourself in areas of pride and offense?

“Father, help me today to be real. Help me to be quick to repent and forgive. Help me to be open to being wrong.”

Please leave your comments…

When Enough is Finally Enough!

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When enough is finally enough,

We will admit that our circumstance cannot always be blamed on someone else…

When enough is finally enough,

We will recognize that almost every situation we find ourselves in can be traced back to a choice we made…

When enough is finally enough,

We will wake up to the fact that God has a plan and destiny for our lives, but he will not force it on us…

When enough is finally enough,

We will understand that God places people of authority in our lives to teach us how to walk in maturity…

When enough is finally enough,

We will begin to see that there are people who know more than we do and we will listen to what they say…

When enough is finally enough,

We will recognize that all of heaven is watching to see whether we chose life or death, blessing or cursing…

When enough is finally enough,

Let’s hear what you have to say…

When we’re not, He is.

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I was scheduled to share a worship time this morning with our interns here at The Cathedral and, I must say, I was not prepared.

Last night, I had some things happen that really made me angry and I had not handled it well. I woke up this morning and was still dealing with it (is it ok if I admit that I’m not always holy?). I thought to myself, “I am in no place to share with these young people about being intimate with God in worship!”

As I got myself ready for work and made a somewhat feeble attempt to prepare for the task I was about to take on, Kari Jobe’s song; “You Are for Me,” began to play over and over  in my mind and heart. I don’t normally listen to Kari, but this song was really heavy in my spirit. I thought “What is the deal, here?” I could not get it to stop! Then it hit me… here are the lyrics:

So faithful. So constant. So loving and so true. So powerful in all You do.
You fill me. You see me. You know my ev’ry move. You love for me to sing to You.

I know that You are for me. I know that You are for me
I know that You will never forsake me in my weakness.
And I know that You have come now, even if to write upon my heart to remind me who you are.

So patient. So gracious. So merciful and true. So wonderful in all You do.
You fill me. You see me. You know my ev’ry move. And You love for me to sing to you Lord.

God was saying to me “Even when you’re not faithful, I am. Even when you haven’t been consistent, I am.”

Jesus told the woman at the well “The time is coming, and now is, when those who worship me will worship me in spirit and in truth.”

My worship is not dependent on how I have performed or whether I have performed to what I think are God’s expectations of me. My worship is not dependent upon who I am. My worship is not dependent upon what I need for God to do in my life.

If I worship God in spirit and in truth, then I come to Him acknowledging that:

  1. He knows everything about me and still chooses… no, LONGS to commune and have fellowship with me.
  2. When He looks at me, He sees me as a completed work in Christ, therefore I cannot disappoint Him or perform below His expectations of me.
  3. When I come to Him in worship I already have everything I need in Christ. All of my healing is provided. All of the provision to accomplish my purpose is already done. Therefore I worship from a well of satisfaction that He has and is everything I need.

In those times when you feel you have “messed up” too badly, or have not been good enough to come into God’s presence in real worship, remember, in the book of Genesis, Adam and Eve had eaten the forbidden fruit, realized they were naked, and covered themselves… but God still came, just like He always had, to walk with them in the cool of the day. He knew their sin… but still came.

He knows you… but still comes saying “I’m here. I am for you. I love you.”

“Father help me today to understand that my worship is not dependent on anything I can do or have done, but it is solely dependent on who You are and what You have done. You have purchased my healing. You have called me Your son. You have promised not to leave me nor forsake me. You have assured me that at the time when I find myself weak, Your strength will be proven perfect. Thank You for revealing yourself to me and helping me to understand the depth of Your love for me. AMEN.”