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June 17, 2012

We welcome you?

In the past several weeks as I have led worship at LifePoint, I have found myself wrestling thru a phrase that we sing and wondering if I truly live it out. You see, it is easy for us to sing along to familiar tunes, and melodically move over the lyrics without truly meaning them. But, isn't this just a sing-a-long if we aren't truly meaning what we sing? Its not true worship then, it's phony bologna. I long to worship God in the way that He desires...wholeheartedly. If we are engaged in true worship, it says in John 4:23 that "..... the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.". The idea I have been personally wrestling thru is this idea of "welcoming God". Several songs talk about welcoming God in our midst, welcoming him with praise, etc..and I wonder, do I truly welcome Him? Because, to "welcome" someone means they are "gladly or cordially received". Hmmm? It's easy for me to welcome God with gladness in moments or seasons where I am full of excitement because things are going my way, but how about the times when they aren't? . Do we welcome God with praise when our life seems to be falling apart and He seems silent? When we struggle with chronic pain and there is no healing in sight? When things aren't peachy with our spouse even though we have been praying for them and working on our own side of the street? When we didn't get the promotion that we thought we deserved? When we are disciplined by God? When we are walking thru the consequences of our sin? When we are broke even though we work hard, live humbly, and tithe consistently? Do we welcome Him with praise when we have zero strength left because with each new season comes another crushing blow? Is He "welcome" in your life to move according to His will?.......or, is He only welcome on your terms...when you "feel" like having company? I think for me, sometimes it can be the latter, but praise God that He is a gracious, loving, and merciful God who will keep perfecting us until the day we stand before Him. I want to have my heart transformed, perfected, in this arena...I want to truthfully welcome Him to move in my life according to His purposes and not my own. I want to sing from the top of my lungs "I welcome You with praise", and I want to truly mean it. How about you?

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