Hey Church!
This weekend I want to encourage you to bring your authentic self to God in worship. It is all too easy for us to “play church” on Sundays in a way that doesn’t result in a genuine encounter with the Holy Spirit. We don’t do this on purpose, of course. At some point along the way, we believed the lie that church is a place that requires us to leave our real-life baggage at the door for the purpose of escaping to an alternate, heavenly reality in which all is at peace. Over time, that sort of worship can make us spiritually sick.
Bring your struggles into the worship service this Sunday. If you are depressed and someone dragged you to church, bring that honestly to the Lord in prayer and worship. He knows your heart anyway, so you may as well address the elephant in the room! That conversation might begin, “God, you know I’m angry and really don’t want to be here today.” But then give Him a chance to respond. Sometimes His answer is “You’re not feelin’ it today? Am I not still worthy of your sacrifice? Worship me in faith.” Other times He may bring a scripture to mind, or use a song lyric or sermon to sympathetically pull you in close to Himself and give you a glimpse of your circumstances from His point of view. “Not a moment of your pain is wasted. I have called you to carry a heavy burden for my name’s sake. Will you carry it with honor and joy, trusting that I am using it all for greater things than you can imagine?”
When you come to church this Sunday, bring your whole self–wounds and all. Tell God exactly how you feel. But then, and this is key, remember to listen for His response. He will meet you wherever you authentically are if you will only bring Him your genuine, whole self.
Your brother,
Ryan