Earlier today on Bellshill Salvation Army Band’s Facebook page I shared some devotions. I’d like to share those devotions with you tonight.
All there is of me, Lord,
All there is of me,
Time and talent day by day,
All I give to Thee,
All there is of me, Lord,
All there is of me,
On Thine altar here I lay,
All there is of me.
If I were to ask you to read or sing these words right now, could you do so, and really mean what you’re saying or singing?
So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him
Romans 12:1 (The Message)
I like the fact that The Message paraphrase lists various aspects of life, just to confirm to us that we should give every part of our lives to God. In other words this verse asks us to completely dedicate our life, offering ourselves as a sacrifice to God, as a way of spiritual worship.
I recently read an article about what people expect from church when they go to worship. The article stated that most people do not attend a worship ready, or willing to give their all to God. Instead they came to worship with one or more of the following
- burdens that need lifted
- anxieties that need to be quelled
- questions that need answers
- problems that need solutions
- frustrations
- distractions that divert our focus from God
It then went on to say that with all these things on their minds, is it any wonder people don’t come to worship prepared to give themselves fully to God!
If I’m honest I wasn’t really surprised by this information, as I can relate to some of the distractions listed, as reasons why I am not always in the right mindset when I attend worship.
When we come to worship unprepared to commit fully to God, is our worship genuine? Real worship is not just about attending church, praying or being the member of a musical section.Instead it’s about coming to worship with an open mind ready to learn, an open heart ready to receive from God, and a willingness to offer ourselves completely and wholeheartedly to God.
Next time to go to your place of worship, stop and ask yourself before you get there, ‘Am I in the right frame of mind to worship?’ If not, we encourage you to leave all those things that are distracting us with God, and go to worship ready not just to receive from God, but to give your all to Him.
The Distinct Dot 