I remember during my undergrad studies at Johnson University several professors would say our activities could serve as worship. If we had the right heart and were putting forth the effort into things such as our studies or our work study jobs then those activities could and would be seen by God as acts of worship. I used to wonder about that? So many times we think of worship as kneeling down at church, or eyes closed in reverent prayer or hands raised in wild singing, but something as mundane as an everyday activity could be seen by my Almighty creator as worship?
Now enter my worry: I often put off the enjoyment side of life because of worry... I tell myself not today because of what tomorrow might hold or even what tonight might bring? I have recently realized if I had the same mentality years ago that I have now I may have never had children, I would have thought I couldn't have afforded them! Allow me to offer an example; my husband and I have rented our home for the last year. Its a very nice home and until very recently we were thinking we would move as soon as possible, the plan was to buy as soon as possible. However, as I mentioned in a previous post with our landlord being so understanding and my husband still looking for a full time placement in teaching we have just decided that staying put is the best thing for us.
Now the way my mind works is this, since we rent our home and thus we do not know where we will eventually live "permanently" I think to myself "lets not buy anything or spend anything and so on". And thus I don't get excited and I seem to stay stuck in a never ending rut. I am coming to realize that rut is not an act of worship. This is not to say that I am thinking God wants to be go out and spend! But I am recognizing that I am living in worry and I do believe that God does not want me to live there either.
Our house has an amazing deck, and last summer my husband and I had this wonderful routine. Every morning we would get up earlier than the kids and Shan would drink his coffee and I would have my Crystal Light and we would sit on the deck talking some days for a few hours. Some days about things that were important and some days about nothing big, sometimes the conversations got intense and even tearful and some days they were full of laughter, some mornings we just sat in quiet and watched the deer on the hill pass our field. We loved those times and we both have mentioned how much we are looking forward to the weather warming up so we can start meeting out on the deck again. The thing is we do not have very comfortable chairs! We have a fun folding camp chairs we used last summer and we made due but as the summer and fall progressed they began to wear out. I mentioned to my husband the other day that I would like to invest in some nicer deck furniture, this was a shock to me; just saying those words out loud. I do not usually like to spend like that... I usually think "what if" what if we spend that money and something happens? But again isn't that living in worry?
I am sitting here this morning thinking back on those professors and that idea of activities being an act of worship? Sitting on the back deck holding my husbands hand, sometimes talking through the important emotional things we needed too, sometimes silly things, and sometimes being still and knowing by creation that God is God now isn't that an act of worship!
Oh how I want to do better at making my daily activities acts of worship and worrying less... I do not want to find myself at the end of my life realizing that I lived an entire life based on worries. Worries based on money as if there would be enough? Or worries based on what others would think? So I held back what needed to be said. Or worries based on what "should" be, in the sense that the the needs of the "to do list" out way the fun times of life.
It has become more and more clear to me that God desires my life to be one of worship not of worry. I do not want to spend my life thinking "when____" I will buy new deck furniture or "when _____" I will take that special trip with my husband, or "when ____" I will go on the dream vacation with my kids or even the day to day things like spending the whole day playing fun games doing just nothing on that "to do" list but completely enjoying my family. What am I waiting for? I am more convicted than ever that with every laugh with my children I am in an act of worship! With every kiss with my husband I am in an act of worship! With every visit with a friend on the back deck as we fellowship I am in an act of worship! If this is the case I have a choice to make today, do I live in worry or worship?
"Therefore since we are receiving a new kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe." Hebrews 12: 28
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