Deuteronomy 5: 7-8

Worship.

It comes in many forms and can have many recipients. God declared that we shall have no other gods before Him. However, every little thing we come in contact with on a daily basis vies for God's affection and the worship due Him. The Israelites built idols out of wood and gold. Today, we build idols out of jobs, houses, salaries, TVs, technological devices, and anything else we can get our minds around. Anything that distracts us from the one true God. Even processes involved with worship can become an idol.

This morning as I was heating up a lean pocket for breakfast, I was “inspired” to write a worship song. I was then immediately convicted that my motivation for writing a worship song was not, in fact, just to worship God and express my love and gratitude, but rather to come up with an amazing song to share with others. In my decision to do something for God, I was motivated by selfish ambition. An idol I face constantly.

As I sauntered down the stairs with my Lean Pocket and Diet Coke (breakfast of champions), I began to consider what chords I would use and what the topic of the song would be. I sat down with a guitar and began strumming; searching my mind for Godly topics, things that I could praise Him for... and then it struck me. I was right back into the mode of impressing others. God arrested my heart and reminded me that if I wanted to worship Him, I needed to stop focusing on the distractions of chords and people and the visions I had of churches everywhere singing “my song,” and instead focus on His goodness and love. I needed to remove from my mind the idea that anyone else might ever even hear the song.

Once I accepted God's correction, the words flowed, the melody and transitions became natural and fluid, and I could sense that I was truly worshiping God. It did not matter if anyone else ever heard the song. However, as soon as I finished I was again confronted with the temptation to put the song out there for “everyone” to hear and appreciate and love... but as I write these words I feel that I need to let the song sit for a while and just be between myself and God without any idols in the way.