Worship is more than just singing. Worship is a way of life. Have you ever heard someone say, “you’ll never lose weight if you diet, you have to change your way of life”? Diet implies that it is temporary. Once you reach your goal weight, you can go back to how you were before, eating anything you want, not exercising, and enjoying life again, right? Dieting is about depriving ourselves of what we want, seeing all the food we can no longer have, and coveting the 4-year old’s birthday cake at their party on Sunday – right?
Ask anyone who diets frequently, and they can attest to the second description. It becomes more of what we can’t/shouldn’t have, and less about the good things we can/should have. Many people see the Christian life in that light as well. “The bible is just a bunch of rules of what I can’t do” or “I know God will forgive me, so just one bite won’t hurt.” Does any of that sound familiar? Living a life like that won’t lose you any weight. One cheat day becomes two. Two become the whole weekend (Friday included). The weekend turns into a holiday weekend. Then pretty soon the diet just gets put on the “I’ll start next Monday” or “after the holidays” list.
Now am I talking about weight loss or worship? Why not both?
People come to church on Sunday, talk, sing, listen to the sermon, shake hands on the way out and head home, and that’s the end of it. After Sunday morning, go back to how you were before and expect change. Maybe we only act like a Christian around our family, but work is a different story. “Friday and Saturday are my cheat days.” That phrase has a whole new impact when you are talking about cheating on someone rather than food.
God has called us to a whole new life; a whole new way of living. Maybe today you just need a reminder that God doesn’t leave you once Sunday is over. The truth of it is that God is right back to work with you come Monday. Worship isn’t something we do for a little, it is a way of life. We can change our circumstances through worship. Not through our own power, but through God’s power. He doesn’t have a cheat day. He has a discipline that is unmatched. We need to strive to be more like Him; more like Jesus.
Take a listen to a song and be ready this week, “More Like Jesus” by Passion.
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