It is that time of the year again. The plants are growing the trees are budding and it is warm outside! My grass already needs mowed, (Oh yeah I should charge my lawnmower). Sometimes we are lucky and plants just grow. There isn’t much you have to do to make grass grow(and weeds for that matter).
Its like that in worship too. We all have the area that comes naturally. For some it is singing, expressing praise, others it is serving, for some its compassion, some of us have a large capacity to love, and are accepting of others. Whatever it is that comes naturally to you, appreciate it and work at it even more. Because unfortunately we all have the weeds that come up naturally too. Nobody likes a weed! Sometimes we pretend that they are pretty, just to trick our minds into thinking we actually wanted it in the first place! You can call ugly whatever you want, at the end of the day its still ugly.
You know what weeds I am talking about… Selfishness, entitlement, pride, stinginess, idolatry… to name a few
All of that ugliness doesn’t honor God. When we start to see these weeds growing in our lives we have to start doing some work. The sad reality is that it is such a gradual process. Most times we don’t see it at first. We let it in a little and just like weeds in a garden or grass, in no time at all it has taken over what was once beautiful. Only the weeds are seen. Our ugliness outshines our worship. Our actions don’t honor God and His beauty can’t be seen through the mess.
Anyone that has ever had to get rid of weeds knows that it is difficult. Its hard work and labor intensive.
Perhaps you are a weeded up mess. Start over.Like an empty field. Take it and start to cultivate a lifestyle of worship.
Where there is negativity, pull it up and start to nurture positive thoughts.
Where there is anger, or unforgiveness. Lay it at the feet of Jesus and start with Forgiveness and accept his peace.
Where there is disrespect, choose to honor as Christ would.
Where there is un-love, make a choice to love, even the unloveable!
I am not saying this is easy. It isn’t easy to pull weeds and plant good crops and see it through. But the harvest is worth the reward. The work pays off in the end. If you are in the middle of your journey, think about the end… remember today why you ever even started! Remind yourself why you do what you do.
Start to cultivate a life that honors God… in spirit and in truth, In work and in deeds, in words and actions!
To truly worship him we have to move past the music, beyond the performance and let our hearts be renewed by him. Transformed from who we are and transplant HIS ways into our life!
Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God – what is good and well-pleasing and perfect. (Romans 12:2 NET)