"Sing to God a thanksgiving hymn, play music on your instruments to God" (Psalm 147:7).
When you express your love for God, it's called worship. one way you can express your love is by singing to him.
You've probably noticed that music and love go together because music comes from the heart. It's not something you do intellectually; it's something that comes out of your soul and your emotions.
And because of that there are many love songs in the world. It's also the reason more songs have been written about Jesus Christ than any other topic in the world. Nothing even comes in as a close second.
Christianity is a singing faith. Why? Because it's not about religion! It's about a love affair; it's about a relationship with God—God loves you so much that He sent His Son to die for you and He wants you to love Him back.
Nothing will make you more aware of God's love and God's presence in your life than singing and praising. I know you may be thinking, "But you don't understand. I can't sing." That's okay, because the Bible says, "Make a joyful noise" (Psalm 66:1). You can do that. When we go to football games or when somebody is getting married we make a joyful noise. So just let it out! You don't have to hit the right note; you just have to make a joyful noise.
Since you can sing anywhere, you can express your love of God anywhere. That means you can worship in the shower; you can worship when you're working in the garden; you can worship washing dishes; or you can worship driving to work.
How often do you sing your thanks and love to God? Daily? Regularly? Occasionally?
If you really think about what God has done in your life, you won't be able to help yourself. Your praise for God will burst forth and your worship will flow to God.
You've probably noticed that music and love go together because music comes from the heart. It's not something you do intellectually; it's something that comes out of your soul and your emotions.
And because of that there are many love songs in the world. It's also the reason more songs have been written about Jesus Christ than any other topic in the world. Nothing even comes in as a close second.
Christianity is a singing faith. Why? Because it's not about religion! It's about a love affair; it's about a relationship with God—God loves you so much that He sent His Son to die for you and He wants you to love Him back.
Nothing will make you more aware of God's love and God's presence in your life than singing and praising. I know you may be thinking, "But you don't understand. I can't sing." That's okay, because the Bible says, "Make a joyful noise" (Psalm 66:1). You can do that. When we go to football games or when somebody is getting married we make a joyful noise. So just let it out! You don't have to hit the right note; you just have to make a joyful noise.
Since you can sing anywhere, you can express your love of God anywhere. That means you can worship in the shower; you can worship when you're working in the garden; you can worship washing dishes; or you can worship driving to work.
How often do you sing your thanks and love to God? Daily? Regularly? Occasionally?
If you really think about what God has done in your life, you won't be able to help yourself. Your praise for God will burst forth and your worship will flow to God.
"I love the Lord because He hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because He bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!" (Psalm 116:1-2).
One way to worship God is to talk to Him.
When you really love somebody you don't just want to spend time with that person, you want to talk with him or her, also. Think about two teenagers falling in love; they're on the phone all the time.
They talk and talk and talk. They're getting to know each other. That's how you get to know someone—through communication. If your spouse never, ever talks to you, you have every reason to start wondering, "Do they love me?"
And that's why we show God we love Him when we talk to Him. What do you talk to God about during this kind of worship? Anything that you'd talk to your best friend about: your hopes, your fears, your dreams, your anxieties, the things you're proud of, the things you're ashamed of, your goals, your ambitions, your hurts, your cares, every part of your life. You come to God and you talk to God about anything and everything.
The Bible says, "I love the Lord because He hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because He bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!" (Psalm 116:1-2). If you don't feel close to God, there's a simple remedy for that: start talking to Him! He has invited you to talk with Him; He wants to talk with you. Prayer is not some duty that you have to do. It's a privilege that you get to do. You get to talk to the Creator of the universe.
You may be saying, "I'd like to have more prayer time with God. I'd like to talk to God. I just don't have the time." Then you're too busy. You'll never have the time; you must make the time to pray. If your Christian life has become routine, dull, and joyless, then take that to God and talk to Him.
When you really love somebody you don't just want to spend time with that person, you want to talk with him or her, also. Think about two teenagers falling in love; they're on the phone all the time.
They talk and talk and talk. They're getting to know each other. That's how you get to know someone—through communication. If your spouse never, ever talks to you, you have every reason to start wondering, "Do they love me?"
And that's why we show God we love Him when we talk to Him. What do you talk to God about during this kind of worship? Anything that you'd talk to your best friend about: your hopes, your fears, your dreams, your anxieties, the things you're proud of, the things you're ashamed of, your goals, your ambitions, your hurts, your cares, every part of your life. You come to God and you talk to God about anything and everything.
The Bible says, "I love the Lord because He hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because He bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!" (Psalm 116:1-2). If you don't feel close to God, there's a simple remedy for that: start talking to Him! He has invited you to talk with Him; He wants to talk with you. Prayer is not some duty that you have to do. It's a privilege that you get to do. You get to talk to the Creator of the universe.
You may be saying, "I'd like to have more prayer time with God. I'd like to talk to God. I just don't have the time." Then you're too busy. You'll never have the time; you must make the time to pray. If your Christian life has become routine, dull, and joyless, then take that to God and talk to Him.
"I am the Good Shepherd; I know My own sheep, and they know Me . . . They will listen to My voice" (John 10:14, 16).
One way to worship God is to listen to Him.
Listening is one of the greatest gifts you can give to somebody. When you listen to someone, you're saying, "You matter to me." When I listen to my children, when I listen to my wife, when I listen to anyone, I'm saying, "I value what you have to say. I value your opinion. You're important to me." When I don't listen to somebody, I'm basically saying, "You don't matter to me. You're not important to me. I don't value what you have to say."
The same is true with God. Every time you listen to God, you're saying, "God, you matter to me. I value what you have to say." Listening is the most misunderstood and overlooked part of prayer. Most of us think that prayer is just talking to God. That's only fifty percent of prayer. The other fifty percent of prayer is getting quiet and letting God speak to us.
Usually we're in too much of a hurry to do this. What we do is say, "Hi, God, it's me. I've got ten things I need from You. Thank you. Over and out. Goodbye." We don't wait and listen. We don't say, "God, do You have a few things to say to me?"
Did you know that the Bible says hearing God's voice is a test of whether you're a true believer—whether you're in God's family—whether you're headed for heaven or not? In John 10, Jesus essentially says, "I am the Good Shepherd; I know My own sheep, they know Me, and they listen to My voice."
How often do you pause to listen to God each day? Do you pause and say, "God, is there anything You want to say about this?" When you're trying to make a decision, or you're getting ready to go to an event, or you're about to talk to somebody about something important, do you pause and say, "God, is there anything You want to say about this?"
Evaluate yourself on that. God wants you to hear Him, and by listening, you worship Him.
Listening is one of the greatest gifts you can give to somebody. When you listen to someone, you're saying, "You matter to me." When I listen to my children, when I listen to my wife, when I listen to anyone, I'm saying, "I value what you have to say. I value your opinion. You're important to me." When I don't listen to somebody, I'm basically saying, "You don't matter to me. You're not important to me. I don't value what you have to say."
The same is true with God. Every time you listen to God, you're saying, "God, you matter to me. I value what you have to say." Listening is the most misunderstood and overlooked part of prayer. Most of us think that prayer is just talking to God. That's only fifty percent of prayer. The other fifty percent of prayer is getting quiet and letting God speak to us.
Usually we're in too much of a hurry to do this. What we do is say, "Hi, God, it's me. I've got ten things I need from You. Thank you. Over and out. Goodbye." We don't wait and listen. We don't say, "God, do You have a few things to say to me?"
Did you know that the Bible says hearing God's voice is a test of whether you're a true believer—whether you're in God's family—whether you're headed for heaven or not? In John 10, Jesus essentially says, "I am the Good Shepherd; I know My own sheep, they know Me, and they listen to My voice."
How often do you pause to listen to God each day? Do you pause and say, "God, is there anything You want to say about this?" When you're trying to make a decision, or you're getting ready to go to an event, or you're about to talk to somebody about something important, do you pause and say, "God, is there anything You want to say about this?"
Evaluate yourself on that. God wants you to hear Him, and by listening, you worship Him.
"And anyone who is ashamed of Me and My message in these days of unbelief and sin, I, the Messiah, will be ashamed of Him when I return in the glory of My Father, with the holy angels" (Mark 8:38).
You can't say you love Jesus Christ and be ashamed of Him at the same time. In Mark 8, Jesus' words could be summarized this way: "If you're ashamed of Me on earth, I'm going to be ashamed of you in heaven." We need to publicly identify ourselves with Christ. That's how we show our love for Him.
Jesus gave us two very powerful symbols that help us publicly declare we belong to God. The first one is Communion, which helps us identify with what Jesus Christ did for us:
• He saved us from the penalty of sin. Everything you've ever done wrong was paid for on the cross so you get to go free and forgiven.
• He saves us from the power of sin. He breaks its grip in our lives. He gives us a new power to be able to make changes so we're not the same anymore. He can do new things in our lives that we always wanted to do but never thought we could do on our own.
• Eventually He saves us from the presence of sin in heaven where there will be no sin, no sorrow, no suffering, no pain, no grief. That's good news.
What should my attitude be when I take the Lord's Supper? Should I sit there feeling guilty, remembering all the wrong things I've done in my life? No. They've already been paid for by Jesus Christ and forgiven. When I take Communion, should I feel grief, thinking about all the torture and suffering that Jesus Christ went through for me? No. Because He didn't stay dead; He came back to life.
So what should be my attitude when I take the Lord's Supper? It should be the attitude of gratitude. Gratefulness for all that God has done. That God loves me so much He sent Jesus to save me from my sins. We can be grateful because we are a forgiven people.
As we take Communion we do several things. We publicly identify our faith in Christ. We publicly identify our love for Christ. We publicly state that we want to be closer to Christ.
When you participate in the Lord's Supper, you worship God because it requires you to "examine your motives, test your heart, come to this meal in holy awe" (1 Corinthians 11:28).
Jesus gave us two very powerful symbols that help us publicly declare we belong to God. The first one is Communion, which helps us identify with what Jesus Christ did for us:
• He saved us from the penalty of sin. Everything you've ever done wrong was paid for on the cross so you get to go free and forgiven.
• He saves us from the power of sin. He breaks its grip in our lives. He gives us a new power to be able to make changes so we're not the same anymore. He can do new things in our lives that we always wanted to do but never thought we could do on our own.
• Eventually He saves us from the presence of sin in heaven where there will be no sin, no sorrow, no suffering, no pain, no grief. That's good news.
What should my attitude be when I take the Lord's Supper? Should I sit there feeling guilty, remembering all the wrong things I've done in my life? No. They've already been paid for by Jesus Christ and forgiven. When I take Communion, should I feel grief, thinking about all the torture and suffering that Jesus Christ went through for me? No. Because He didn't stay dead; He came back to life.
So what should be my attitude when I take the Lord's Supper? It should be the attitude of gratitude. Gratefulness for all that God has done. That God loves me so much He sent Jesus to save me from my sins. We can be grateful because we are a forgiven people.
As we take Communion we do several things. We publicly identify our faith in Christ. We publicly identify our love for Christ. We publicly state that we want to be closer to Christ.
When you participate in the Lord's Supper, you worship God because it requires you to "examine your motives, test your heart, come to this meal in holy awe" (1 Corinthians 11:28).
"When we went under the water, we left the old country of sin behind; when we came up out of the water, we entered into the new country of grace—a new life in a new land! That's what baptism into the life of Jesus means" (Romans 6:3).
Baptism makes three powerful, public statements, expressing how we belong to God:
The first reason you need to be baptized is to say, "I believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus." And you give a picture of that by going under the water and coming up. And when we come up out of the water, we enter into the new country of grace—a new life in a new land! (based on Romans 6:3).
Second, baptism is a picture of what happens to you: "Going under the water was a burial of your old life; coming up out of it was a resurrection, God raising you from the dead as He did Christ" (Colossians 2:12). When you're baptized you're saying, "I'm dying to all my old sins. They're forgiven, they're forgotten, and they're out of my life. I'm beginning a brand new life in Christ."
Third, it symbolizes your new life in Jesus Christ: "And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes" (Galatians 3:27).
The first reason you need to be baptized is to say, "I believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus." And you give a picture of that by going under the water and coming up. And when we come up out of the water, we enter into the new country of grace—a new life in a new land! (based on Romans 6:3).
Second, baptism is a picture of what happens to you: "Going under the water was a burial of your old life; coming up out of it was a resurrection, God raising you from the dead as He did Christ" (Colossians 2:12). When you're baptized you're saying, "I'm dying to all my old sins. They're forgiven, they're forgotten, and they're out of my life. I'm beginning a brand new life in Christ."
Third, it symbolizes your new life in Jesus Christ: "And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes" (Galatians 3:27).
"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).
One way you can express your love for God is by being committed to Him. This is what love is really all about: commitment. You don't really love somebody unless you're committed to their best.
Nothing significant ever happens in life without commitment. Your commitments determine your future. You are becoming whatever you are committed to, so choose your commitments carefully. If you're committed to the wrong thing, you're going to become the wrong thing.
You can't lose by being committed to God. The Bible tells us in 2 Chronicles 16:9 that God is looking for people whose hearts are fully committed to Him so that He can bless and use them.
What does it mean to be fully committed to God?
• Giving my life to Jesus Christ.
• Committing my life to His family—the body of Christ, which is the church—and joining a church family.
• Choosing to grow spiritually and become more and more like Jesus Christ everyday in my character.
• Using my talents and gifts to help others.
• Sharing the good news with other people and fulfilling the mission and purpose God put me on this earth to do.
These commitments show that worship is not just something that happens in the four walls of a church building. Worship can happen anywhere as you "take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering" (Romans 12:1b).
Nothing significant ever happens in life without commitment. Your commitments determine your future. You are becoming whatever you are committed to, so choose your commitments carefully. If you're committed to the wrong thing, you're going to become the wrong thing.
You can't lose by being committed to God. The Bible tells us in 2 Chronicles 16:9 that God is looking for people whose hearts are fully committed to Him so that He can bless and use them.
What does it mean to be fully committed to God?
• Giving my life to Jesus Christ.
• Committing my life to His family—the body of Christ, which is the church—and joining a church family.
• Choosing to grow spiritually and become more and more like Jesus Christ everyday in my character.
• Using my talents and gifts to help others.
• Sharing the good news with other people and fulfilling the mission and purpose God put me on this earth to do.
These commitments show that worship is not just something that happens in the four walls of a church building. Worship can happen anywhere as you "take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering" (Romans 12:1b).
"But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving. I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others" (2 Corinthians 8:7-8).
At the core of giving is the essence of love. When you love someone you want to give to them. You can give without loving but you cannot love without giving. If you say you love God, then it's going to show up in your generous lifestyle.
I can claim to be a Christian, a follower of Christ. I can claim to love God. But the Bible says there is one way to really test the sincerity of your love: "Just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving. I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love” (2 Corinthians 8:7-8).
God tests the sincerity of your love by looking at your giving.
Why does He do that? God doesn't need your time. He doesn't need your money. What does He need? He wants what your giving represents—your heart—and He wants you to become like Him. "For God loved the world so much that He gave" (John 3:16, emphasis mine). You can either become like God and be a generous giver or you can become like Satan and be a stingy hoarder.
I have discovered that there are basically two kinds of people—cheerful givers and fearful givers.
Cheerful givers say, "I'm going to give. It all belongs to God anyway. He gave it all to me. I wouldn't have anything without God so I'm going to give it all to Him and He can take care of all my needs."
Fearful givers say, "I can't afford to do this. I can't afford to give. I've got to hoard. I've got to watch what's for me. I've got to protect my selfish interests."
Cheerful or fearful—you make the decision. But remember God tests the sincerity of your love by how generous you are in life. Everything we have comes from God.
Giving is as much an act of worship as singing, praying, thanking, and listening. It's saying, "God, I love You so much I want to give back to You. You saved my life and I want to give back to You."
I can claim to be a Christian, a follower of Christ. I can claim to love God. But the Bible says there is one way to really test the sincerity of your love: "Just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving. I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love” (2 Corinthians 8:7-8).
God tests the sincerity of your love by looking at your giving.
Why does He do that? God doesn't need your time. He doesn't need your money. What does He need? He wants what your giving represents—your heart—and He wants you to become like Him. "For God loved the world so much that He gave" (John 3:16, emphasis mine). You can either become like God and be a generous giver or you can become like Satan and be a stingy hoarder.
I have discovered that there are basically two kinds of people—cheerful givers and fearful givers.
Cheerful givers say, "I'm going to give. It all belongs to God anyway. He gave it all to me. I wouldn't have anything without God so I'm going to give it all to Him and He can take care of all my needs."
Fearful givers say, "I can't afford to do this. I can't afford to give. I've got to hoard. I've got to watch what's for me. I've got to protect my selfish interests."
Cheerful or fearful—you make the decision. But remember God tests the sincerity of your love by how generous you are in life. Everything we have comes from God.
Giving is as much an act of worship as singing, praying, thanking, and listening. It's saying, "God, I love You so much I want to give back to You. You saved my life and I want to give back to You."
The Purpose Driven Connection by Rick Warren
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