The Air I Breathe

August, 2007 — Chapters 7 & 8

In any love relationship, we desire expressions of love to be in both word and deed.  God is no different.  “What God has revealed to us about Himself is beyond our words of gratitude…but what we can do in return is give Him everything we have through a life of service to Him and to those around us” (pg. 77)?

I can really identify with the sentiment that if we just keep telling Him (or singing about) how great He is, He’ll be content.   This is why Chapter 7 continues in the unraveling of the definition of biblical worship.  Worship is “…expressed by the thing we say and the way we live.”  This truth, in my opinion, really lies at the heart of how we should discern the Spiritual climate of our Sunday morning gatherings. The execution of our words (or notes) is such the tip of the worship iceberg!  I believe for us to continue our journey into the very Holy presence of God on Sundays, we must focus on what it is we’re doing to grow our “walking-around life.” 

It’s almost a catch 22, isn’t it?  If we only meet for 61 minutes on 2 1/2 out of 4 Sundays per month, how is that we can really spur one another on towards deeper lives of worship?  Maybe we haven’t yet reached a resting point for how we program our corporate worship times?  Hmm…

Chapter 8 is so key to enforcing Jesus’ worship victory on our behalf.  We’re no longer under any religious system of worship do’s and do not’s.  Our pursuit of God through worship is not based on our strength and determination.  It is Christ in me.  Not I, but Christ!  We struggle in the battle, Louie suggests, when we let the Deceiver trick us into thinking our worship is weak and frail.  On our own, of course it is!  It’s only in Christ we’re free, rescued, washed clean, re-created, etc.  Do you see the Enemy’s scheme to keep us from the power of the Cross?  Even after the fact?   So then, if our worship truly is by the power and Spirit of God Himself, the idea of worshipping continually is no longer ominous, but rather auspicious and advantageous. Holy Spirit, help us to understand and embrace this crucial truth for our lives.  Amen.

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him (Colossians 3:17).