Why do we worship the things we do?

I have been challenged many times over this month listening to "Because of Who You Are" by Martha Munizzi. I have been struck probably close to 100 times with the question of, "Why do we worship the things we do?" I have found myself questioning why I raise my hands in church, why I bow my head in prayer, why I choose to pray with each of my children before bed, why I choose to praise God for what He has done, instead of asking for things He has yet to reveal, and why I spend my time the way I do.

I am extremely blessed with the opportunity to be a part of the AV team at church and have an almost weekly opportunity to enjoy worship in a very private setting in the balcony video booth at church. I can choose to ignore the opportunity to worship with the saints and instead focus on the job, or I can choose to worship while I partake in the ministry of the pre-service video presentations, song slides, and sermon presentations. I have made a personal decision to not let a mouse click here and there hinder my ability to worship my Heavenly Father. He cares so much about me, and He is my Jehovah, a God who desires unceasingly to know me. I am floored with the idea that the Creator of the Universe desires to know me. I am a sinner. I have failed so many times and will fail again in the future. But these things do not change the desire God has to know me. You may be saying, "He created me, so He knows me" to which I would agree. I would also challenge your thought with the idea that He wants us to choose to open the doors of our hearts and invite Him into the innermost, scariest, darkest, deepest part of our lives. The parts we want to forget exsist, yet seem to control our every move and decision. I choose to allow God in and do what only He can do with the mess found in those hidden chambers of my life.

One act of submission and invitation is the simple act of raising my hands during communication with Him. I think of my youngest, Katilyn. When she is desperate for a hug, my attention, or even a brief moment of cuddling, she opens her arms to me, pleaing with her actions for me to be apart of her life at that moment. God is waiting for the same thing from us. He is the mom and dad that waits for their child to open up their arms and reach for an embrace. I choose to embrace my Heavenly Father at all times. I don't do it just when it is seen by others. My favorite worship time is in the shower. I turn the worship music on and invite God to speak to me in some of the only moments of the day that aren't surrounded by children and life. What else am I going to do in the shower? I have choosen to use that time in my day to devote myself to worshiping Jehovah Jirah, my provider. My Jehovah Nissi, because He is the banner over me. My Jehovah Shalom, because He alone can provide the peace I crave in my life. Because of who He is I choose to worship Him, and Him alone.

I have to choose each morning I wake up to invite God to take control of my life. He won't force Himself on me. He won't abandon me. I may force myself away from His presence and I may run from Him, but I am so thankful He has never returned the actions onto me. Why do I choose to worship? I choose to worship because of who He is and all He has done for me. If God never honored me with one single blessing for the rest of my life (which won't happen because it is not His nature to ignore His desire to bless us) I have a lifetime of things to be thankful for. I want to challenge you to find reasons to thank Him and worship Him. Not to gain a single thing, but simply Because of Who He Is!