When the idea of changing the world makes you feel small, don’t confuse your smallness with insignificance. You exist because God does. Dare to notice every lifting of your hand, every closing of your eye, every word that falls so easy out of your mouth – and know that it all moves because he moved first. He opened his mouth and said Let there be. And so light and creatures and new life came and filled up the whole earth, the earth that is because he said so.
That means we breathe in air and breathe out worship. We receive love and extend worship. We embrace children, offering worship. We comfort, we laugh, we mourn, we dance, we read, we dream, we exist — all worship. We pay the bills, we run on the treadmill, we enjoy a good movie, we make dinner, we welcome friends with open arms — worship, all worship. We send money and offer prayer and sit with a lonely neighbor in Jesus’ name. We wait for love, we long for home, we pour out our hearts and hopes and fears and longing; we create with words and photos and colors and food, all beautiful acts of worship.
But we don’t call it that. We call those things living. But when the Spirit of the living God lives inside of you, then your living is also your worship. Everything that is is because he is I Am. ”For in Him we live and move and exist.” (Acts 17:28) We are able to worship in all that we do. And anything worth doing will also be worship. What else would it be?
Portions of this post were taken from my book, Grace for the Good Girl.
This is day 14 in a series. Read 31 Days to Change the World from the beginning. Go here to see all of the other 31 Day series happening around the internets. Want to have Chatting at the Sky delivered into your email inbox? Subscribe here for free.
I’m reading your book right now with Amy Bayliss and a number of other girls doing the online Bible study.
“And anything worth doing will also be worship.” Such a beautiful tie in to the quote from Ian Thomas that reads, “It is not the nature of what you do that determines the spirituality of any action, but the origin of what you do.”
If we act and move from a place of intentionally glorifying Him, it changes everything. It gives significance to the mundane. Purpose to those things that seems purposeless.
…and might I perhaps venture to say…even when we act and move without intentionally glorifying him – breathing, walking, moving, living – are not these things also worship?
AMEN! We were made to worship Him!
So simple, so profound! I’ve never thought of worship in that way. This is one post I will reflect on for years to come! Thanks, Emily!
EMILY! I want to shout your name because you have put words to what my heart has been thinking about for awhile now, and what comments I leave for people on their posts…that it’s all worship. I’ve been so astounded at *Seeing* what worship is, recently. Truly. It really changes everything to See *living* as worship. You got it, girlfriend! You got it!
Beautiful. Thank you once again for inspiring me to truly LIVE and let everything be WORSHIP!!!
I absolutely LOVE this! Thank you so much for sharing. My heart sings as I read it. I feel this way everyday and it’s so cool to see it written so eloquently.
I agree with all of the ladies above. Beautiful! My heart sings as well, as it always does when I read your post. Thanks again for putting perfect words to the thoughts that so many of us have.
Thank you for reminding my heart to be mindful of Him who is mindful of me.
“Dare to notice every lifting of your hand, every closing of your eye, every word that falls so easy out of your mouth – and know that it all moves because he moved first.”
Thank you for this. Just what i needed today.
Oh, how I love this, Emily! The truth that the living is the worship. Thanking Jesus today for the truth He helps you write so beautifully.
Emily, this is beautiful. In all that we do, we do to the glory of God. All is worship unto Him!
beautifully said
I am reading your book now and it is taking me a while . . . not because your book is slow, but because your words are walking up so close to the center of my hiding place that to experience them all at once would be too much. So I’ve been letting them line up in a kind of truth-seeking, light-giving parade, advancing a little further into the darkness with each chapter. And I love this post about worship. Because if our lives are not, in fact, continual worship, then it seems to me that the essential nature of who we are is lost. I mean, how can you be God’s child and not live a life of excited love for Him?!
I know you may have seen some of the blogging “awards” that are circulating in the blogging world. There is one award, The Versatile Blogger, that I have awarded to you. I have enjoyed reading your blog so much and wanted to let you know what a blessing it has been to me as well as share it with others who may not have found you yet. For more information about the award, go to http://sunshinesentiments.blogspot.com/2011/10/unexpected-applause.html. Thanks for sharing yourself. Smiles -
Ah, it’s perfect that I am reading this a day late, because just moments ago I read 1 Cor. 10:31, “…whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” and Eph. 5:9 “(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)” and the Lord spoke to my heart once again that I am worshipping Him thru and in serving my family, even in daily tasks, doing them to the glory of God.
I was at a birthday party with my girls today. Amazing, gorgeous day outside, they were in oversized t-shirts painting trees (no joke), and my heart was just plain ol’ full. And I thought of you and realized, “This is worship. This moment of me enjoying the moment – it’s worship.”
Thanks, Emily. I really wouldn’t have recognized it before you helped me to see worship in a much bigger way.
Blessings,
K
“Your living is also your worship” ~ beautiful!!
Sometimes I help lead the music part of our adult gathering at church on Sunday mornings. We call it “singing”. Because our living is our worship. Thanks Emily for being such an awesome sharer of grace.