Above All?
Another Day Along the Way
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Another day,
"Above all, I live for your glory."
I think often about songs we sing. About confessions we announce. About doctrines we state as beliefs.
Last Tuesday I could not stop thinking about what I confessed as I sang during our Convocational worship at Emmanuel. It wasn't the frequent worship debates about ancient versus modern, time length and volume, personal preference or deep devotion. I hear of those; I think of those. But last Tuesday wasn't the time. My mind asked me a question: "Do you mean what you are singing?"
Singing about living for God's glory above all else, I wondered: Do I live that way?
Reading the Psalms gave me a little peace. David and other authors wrote volumes of hopeful confessions. Not all as doctrinal declaration. Not all as evangelism strategies. Many of their lyrics were prayers of release. They voiced anger and pain, poetically handing hurt over to the Listener.
Still, their statements about surrender appeared to have meaning. They moved from releasing anger to revealing hope, from hurt to healing, from temper to truth. Do our songs of praise state what we hope to become true one day, or do they reveal what is true as we sing?
In other words, do we mean what we are singing?
For me, I needed a few days to meditate on what I live for. I had to write a list of nouns who might take God's place. People, places, and things which rank of higher importance in my life than God - call them idols. I needed to detect my true life purpose. I've done it before. I'll do it again. Why? I need to do more than sing a song. I needed to ask myself about myself.
Think about you. Your life, your time, your interest, your dreams. Your goals and reasons for doing what you do. Your deepest desires. Your future.
Where is God? Is He above all?
Along the way,
Chris Maxwell
Prayer Surrendered: (Psalm 115:1, NIV)
Not to us, O Lord, not to us
but to your name be the glory,
because of your love and faithfulness.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Another day,
"Above all, I live for your glory."
I think often about songs we sing. About confessions we announce. About doctrines we state as beliefs.
Last Tuesday I could not stop thinking about what I confessed as I sang during our Convocational worship at Emmanuel. It wasn't the frequent worship debates about ancient versus modern, time length and volume, personal preference or deep devotion. I hear of those; I think of those. But last Tuesday wasn't the time. My mind asked me a question: "Do you mean what you are singing?"
Singing about living for God's glory above all else, I wondered: Do I live that way?
Reading the Psalms gave me a little peace. David and other authors wrote volumes of hopeful confessions. Not all as doctrinal declaration. Not all as evangelism strategies. Many of their lyrics were prayers of release. They voiced anger and pain, poetically handing hurt over to the Listener.
Still, their statements about surrender appeared to have meaning. They moved from releasing anger to revealing hope, from hurt to healing, from temper to truth. Do our songs of praise state what we hope to become true one day, or do they reveal what is true as we sing?
In other words, do we mean what we are singing?
For me, I needed a few days to meditate on what I live for. I had to write a list of nouns who might take God's place. People, places, and things which rank of higher importance in my life than God - call them idols. I needed to detect my true life purpose. I've done it before. I'll do it again. Why? I need to do more than sing a song. I needed to ask myself about myself.
Think about you. Your life, your time, your interest, your dreams. Your goals and reasons for doing what you do. Your deepest desires. Your future.
Where is God? Is He above all?
Along the way,
Chris Maxwell
Prayer Surrendered: (Psalm 115:1, NIV)
Not to us, O Lord, not to us
but to your name be the glory,
because of your love and faithfulness.
11 Comments:
I thought about those same things this morning aat church service.
The Lord has provided many things in My Life.He provides things even before I need them.I need to work on seeing more what He provides.I take things, people and events for granted.Then when they are no longer around I miss them.I'm learning to enjoy more of the things that are here now.I Pray that I can see more of what The Lord Provides, and Thank Him for them.I am so Blessed by all that He does.People come and go in my Life, things change. But The Lord and His Love are always with Me.During hard times I have Peace in knowing I'm in His Hands.Chris thankyou for all You do for Others.May The Lord continue to Bless You, and show The World His Messages He has You Deliver, God Bless, SP
Lately I've been reading the Psalms every morning. You are right. They were pretty honest. I'm glad we can be honest when we talk to God. I am also glad that God tells us changes we need to bring into our lives.
Thanks.
a
I needed to read that today and I need to remember it every day. Lately I've been living on "Christian Auto-Pilot." I thank God for blessings that come, I ask Him to help me when problems come and He gets attention for everything in-between when I think about it. He needs to become a priority in my life again. I need to start living for him intentionally and not by accident.
I'm afraid to be totally honest with God sometimes because I am not always honest with myself. I too have replaced God with many things and people and responsibilities. But He is still there waiting. And after I read this I realized and admitted to myself and Him that I am not living for His glory above all. The best part though is that I don't have to wait until tomorrow to start living for His glory. I can start RIGHT NOW!
I wish we really did mean what we sing about in church. We worry more about the songs and if we like them that what they are really saying to us.
DL
Pastor Chris,
I'm glad to know some one else thinks about the words of songs we sing. Almost every Sunday there are songs I struggle with to sing. Do I really mean it or do I really mean what I'm singing. I agree fully with what you wrote.
John & Rita Pappa
Pray I start having a better attitude in church services
I liked the worship in convocation today.
Chris, you are right on target! Not only do we sing songs and wonder if we mean what we sing; how many times do we hear a sermon and think it was meant for someone else. When we truly mean what we sing and apply God's Word...personally...That's when we can learn and grow deeper in our relationsip with Him. Keep it coming, J.Eidson
Hi Chris,
I thoroughly agree. So often I wonder while singing, how many people are really paying attention to the words and meaning. If we just think about it as we sing it would mean so much more. To us and to the Lord.
Blessings,
Mary Lou
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