Worship Articles by Stephen M. Newman Pastor of Worship and Arts June 20, 2007

Next, I was forced to look outside of my "worship times.” How was I to my family? What did others think of me? Did they see me as a person who had a lifestyle of worship? Was I seen and respected by those in my church as a leader and pastor? These questions didn't matter at all because you see, I knew the real me . I knew that I was a selfish person who was out for me. My desire to be a servant had deteriorated to next to nothing. I wanted to be Christ-like in speech, but the reality was that I wasn’t living it. I know how to talk the talk but my walk was hurting. I had fallen into the church game and had become frighteningly comfortable there. I played the role fairly well, so I thought, but inside I was a selfish, self-seeking P-I-G.

What was I to do? I had realized part of the problem…….me. How did this relate to my leading of the church? You guessed it. No matter how hard a person tries to be something they’re not, their true colors eventually bleed through. It wasn't that I intentionally tried to deceive anyone, it was that I wasn't being what God had called be to be. He has called us all to model His life. He was the greatest example of a servant. He came to serve, not be served. I have always wanted to be like my heavenly Father and my earthly father, because they are both servants. I had a great role model growing up and was headed in the right direction. Somewhere along the way I missed it, but where? I thought that worshiping Him was a lot to give. If I became a true worshiper in my private and corporate times then God would honor it and He would draw nearer to me, wouldn’t He? The reality was that I wasn't living the life of a true worshiper. A true worshiper seeks to live a complete Christian life. He is not one who worships only when he wants to, but is worshiping through his obedience every minute of every day...taking our eyes off of us and placing them on God and others. The old acrostic of JOY is true. To have true joy you need to put Jesus first, Others second, Yourself last. Sadly, my generation is hung up on seeking self, and seeking recognition for what we do in life and ministry. If we will take our eyes off of what we do, and place them on God and His will, I believe we will begin to understand what it means to be a true worshiper. Striving to be like Christ, worshiping Him daily, and serving our fellow man and brothers before ourselves. These are the things needed to become a whole worshiper of God. How do we lift up the name of Jesus and praise God for who He is when we fail to be obedient to the very simple things He has called us to do? I pray that our motivation in life be to hear, "Well done thy good and faithful servant," and not strive for man's approval here on earth.

Is God pleased with you? Is He pleased with your worship? Do you have a true lifestyle of worship or is it just a Sunday morning thing? Are we leading our people by example? Is the example the right one?

What will I do? I will try to regain the heart of a servant that God intended me to have. I will try to die to self daily as I minister to those God has placed in my care. I will begin by serving my family better and focusing my full attention on them and not my own desires. From there, I hope to reach out to those in need in our congregation. To not only speak it, but live it as well. To model to all a worshiper lifestyle that is reflective of Christ. Jesus praised His Father in heaven, He was obedient to Him, He obeyed Him, followed Him, and completed His will even when it meant the loss of his own earthly life. He was a true servant. I want to be like Jesus, and I want others to see Jesus in me. I want my Heavenly Father to say to me, "Well done thy good and faithful servant."

Page  1  |  2

Printable Version
Email this Page to a Friend	Add Your Opinion

Be the first to add your opinion about this article. Click HERE Now!
Add Your Opinion