I have been pondering ideas related to love, gratitude, attitude,
and worship that were sparked by looking at a story Jesus told in Luke 7. Given
that we gather as a church every Sunday, it is possible for us to think of church simply as a
routine that might be a good thing in our lives, but hey, we all get tired or even
bored of routines.
The main thrust of the story in Luke 7 is not about worship,
but is about love and gratitude. As I thought about my love for and gratitude
toward God for what He has done for me, I was challenged to consider my attitude toward worship and how love and gratitude impact my attitude toward worship. Here is where my pondering took me: when we gather
on a Sunday morning for a time of group worship, I believe that my love and
gratitude toward God should be the motivator for me to be present in a service and for me to
participate in the service. But clearly, my love and gratitude do not start with me. I do not create them. They are
products of or responses to God’s love and forgiveness freely given to me through the Lord
Jesus. To me there should be a wow in our lives, even in the context of a
routine, when we consider what God has done for us. A wow that ignites me to action. When I ponder the truth of what God has done for me,
the idea of gathering with others to worship seems like an incredible blessing,
one in which I want and need to be a part of. Those thoughts are making me very
eager to participate in our worship service on Sunday. Yes we gather every week, but when I consider what God has done, we need to gather very week and give thanks. I hope you are eager to
participate too when you consider what God has done through Christ.
It is amazing when we can stop and remember what The Lord has done for us. All too often we in this culture are fooled into believing we are in control of our own destiny, decisions and dealings. We cannot take a single breath of air without the provision of our Almighty God, yet we fail to recognize the simple truth that "all we need He provides".
ReplyDeleteAnother passage that helps to prepare me to bring a proper attitude and gratitude to group worship is Psalm 8. This scripture is often a prayer that is on my mind when I am in a proper heart attitude. Thank you got this important reminder.