More Than A Song....

My Mom recently sent me Jimmy Needham’s new album (personally autographed by the way. J She definitely knows my love language!) Well, the last few days I have enjoyed listening to the record. There is a song on there that I keep thinking about and the more I listen to it the more convicting it gets for me. It is called “Clear the Stage.”

Here’s the lyrics:

Clear the stage and set the sound and lights ablaze
If that's the measure that it takes to crush the idols.
Chuck the pews and all the decorations too
Until the congregations few then have revival.
Tell your friends that this is where the party ends
until you're broken for your sins you can't be social.
Then seek the Lord and wait for what he has in store
and know that great is your reward and just be hopeful

Cause you can sing all you want to.
Yes you can sing all you want to
you can sing all you want to
And don't get me wrong, worship is more than a song.

Take a break from all the plans that you made
And sit at home alone and wait for God to whisper.
Beg Him please to open up his mouth and speak
And pray for real upon your knees until they blister.
Shine the light on every corner of your life
Until the pride and lust and lies are in the open.
Then read the word and put to test the things you've heard
Until your heart and soul are stirred and rocked and broken.

Cause you can sing all you want to.
Yes you can sing all you want to
you can sing all you want to
And don't get me wrong, worship is more than a song.

Anything I put before my God is an idol.
Anything I want with all my heart is an idol.
Anything I can't stop thinking of is an idol.
Anything that I give all my love is an idol.
We must not worship something that's not even worth it.
Clear the stage and make some space for the one who deserves it.

Cause I can sing all I want to.
Yes I can sing all I want to
I can sing all I want to
And still get it wrong, worship is more than a song.

And you can sing all you want to.
Yes you can sing all you want to
You can sing all you want to

(Lyrics by: Ross King)

 

The two questions that I am left with after I listen to that song are: 1. Is worshipping more than just a song I sing? 2. What am I putting before God?

Do I only worship God when we are singing my favorite worship song in church or when it’s being played on the radio? Do I only worship God when I feel like it? Or when things are going good? Is worship just a feel good experience to me? Or is worshiping my life? Is it the continual outflow? Do I live my life as a continual worship service to my King? Is my love, my affection, my adoration and praise for Jesus Christ constantly pouring out of my soul?

I can say it is not nearly enough.

Worship is not just the song we sing or raising our hands at the perfect time. Worship is a life fully given to Christ glorifying Him in every area and action, word and deed in our life. It is showcasing Christ and living a life of continual praise and adoration unto Him.

The second question is- what are we putting before God? What is hindering us from having a life of continual worship of Christ? Is it busyness? Is it sleep? Is it friends? Is it the noise of this world-distracting us from being quiet before Him? I know for me it is so easy to fill up my day with things to do and forget to even set aside adequate time to be still before the Lord. Or I keep pushing snooze of my alarm to get more sleep thus, missing out on precious time that I could be before the Lord.

What has to give in order for the idols to be crushed? Are we willing to give up our silly little “entitlements” that we feel we have a right to? Do we really want God enough to be willing to forgo friendships, plans and sleep in order to be on our knees in prayer? Are we willing to seek Him with all our hearts?

So I guess what I am asking is: What is worship to you? Is it just a song you sing? Is it just going to church? Or is your life a worship service? Is the outflow of your life praise and adoration to Christ? Secondly, what idols need to go? What haven’t you given to Christ? What are you holding back? Do you want Christ enough that we are willing to have the idols crushed?

Jesus Christ is WORTHY of all our worship and all our praise. He is worthy to continually be on our lips and in our hearts and minds. Jesus Christ will not share our hearts with anything or anyone else. He must have our entire hearts.

Does He have only a little bit of our hearts and lives? Does He only have half our hearts? Or does He have ALL our hearts? ALL our affection? ALL our thoughts? ALL our life?