Daring To Love God Pt 2

NOVA~ Hillsong United

Let all the earth declare your name, voices resounding heaven’s fame. Our God be Praised forever.

 

What is it really all about?  I have pretended for the last few years that I had it altogether when it came to worship. I mean why shouldn’t I feel confident? I had been leading worship since I was 15 years old. Writing worship music since I was 17. I attended great worship conferences.  I learned from the industry itself. I worked along some great worship leaders and led worship all over the world. Yet my attitude when I went to church and heard a song that maybe I wouldn’t have done I would just break it down, as if somehow some song from 95 wasn’t written with heart and passion.  I finally broke down and wrote myself out of a worship team in Afghanistan that I had been leading. Even with the chance to be “known” as a Marine Worship Leader, I knew there was a cancer in my spiritual life. The cancer was the sin of pride. I was so “proud” I have become a vocalist and musician overall that I could walk into most churches in America and be leading in a heartbeat or so I thought. Last summer (2011) I was getting bites left and right from churches all across America, but then it dried up, because I had dried up. I had allowed myself to look at what "i" could do vs what God could do through me! 

 How did this “sin of pride” affect my worship to God?  I was not focusing all of my energy and emotions into worshiping him. I was holding back. I was focused on technical rather than really praising him and thanking him. I have always heard the phrase from people, “Man I got SOO much out of worship!!”  They are not wrong and yes that is an outcome, but is that really the most important aspect of our worship? Instead of about what I can give to God it became what I can get from him. Even as a worship leader I had to wake up and smell the open sore of this cancer called pride.

 This question led me to explore a new avenue in my walk and worship, to learn how to serve others in my leading worship. So I had to step aside, get out of the way and let God speak. I needed some fresh air in my life. So what do we do when we are exhausted? burn out? We need to get refreshed. Examine our worship. Our relationships. Our time. This week make a song of worship your theme song. Below is what I chose.

 

 This week I was listening to Hillsong United’s song “Nova”.  In the lyrics the writer describes, “Let all the earth declare your name, flood all the earth with endless light, raise up the streets from death to life. Our God be praised forever.”  What an  anthem!  The song is a shout and declaration to say let our lives come alive with your glory.  That is exactly what happens when I am truly focused upon him and only him.