Perhaps I’m a little
odd, but it never occurred to me, to not sing like I meant it! Isn’t that what worship is all about? We are told in His Word to “Worship in Spirit
and Truth.” We are a people created to
worship our Creator, although it can happen in a variety of ways. We may sing, pray, lift our hands, be quiet
and still; but also we worship when we honor God with our lives. However we choose to worship, it’s supposed
to be an activity of the heart.
I admit when I was part
of the choir I was often surprised when I noticed those people in the congregation who not only did
not sing, but seemed bothered or even bored during the worship time. The other side of this is the child who sings
with all the gusto they can muster because they are uninhibited and just love
to sing! We should sing like the child!
Prayer and lifting up of
hands is another form of worship. Many
adults restrict their blessing because they choose to not lift their hands in
adoration of their Savior. When an adult
has not grown up with the practice, they feel like they are singling themselves
out when they raise their hands. Yet
Biblically, we are called to raise our hands in praise.
Another form of worship
is to just be quiet and be still. This
is so hard to do since our world is so busy.
We have television, cell phones, video games, email, face book and a
host of other Internet sites. With all
the distractions our minds are often in overdrive and it’s difficult to quiet
our minds to all other sounds so we can hear God’s still small voice. But when we can, feeling the presence of The
Lord is amazing!
As we ready our tables
and homes for Thanksgiving, I encourage you to consider how you and your family
worship. I know many families will stop
and bless the food before eating. Some
have the tradition of going around the table and allowing each person to share
one thing for which they are grateful.
Other families have other ways of demonstrating a thankful heart.
When we express our gratitude
we are honoring God and we are also expressing a form of worship. When we stop and thank God for all the gifts
and blessings whether big or small we are worshipping Him.
So I challenge you to
make a list of all the blessings you can think of. Begin with waking in the morning, for your
next breath, the water you drink (or coffee or other beverage), the food you
ate for breakfast, lunch and dinner; clothes you wear, shelter, family (list
each family member separately and try to name one specific thing you are
especially thankful for, regarding them), church family, pastor, education,
reading material –specifically the Bible, and every single thing you are
thankful for.
Even if you don’t have
everything you want or even feel like you need, chances are you are better off
than many others, perhaps in your own town or even your community. Thanksgiving is a special time---a time to
have a thankful heart with friends and family!
Praying yours is a Happy Thanksgiving!
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