worship - connecting with God (2)

Many times, we are exhorted to be silent before our God. This indeed is a good discipline and the verse often quoted to us is:

Psalm 46:10
Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

But there are also many other verses from the Book of Psalms that encourage us to

SHOUT,
lift up our voices,
lift our hands,
lift our heads,
clap our hands,
play instruments,
dance,
testify to the congregation,
bow before Him,
kneel,
prostrate,
make a joyful noise,
sing

in praise and worship of our GOD.

Sometimes people assume that believers who are extravagant in their expression of worship often do not mean what they sing, and thus warn us to be careful what we sing or say. I think we should encourage people to be more expressive. We often say to our spouses or parents or siblings or friends - I love you - or give them a hug. We usually mean these things but there are times when we face conflicts in our relationship or when we have a bad day at the office or when we are not well, that we don't feel the love. This does not mean we no longer love, but we are preoccupied with other concerns. So we take time and effort to resolve the conflict, put aside our work problems, have a good rest with some medication, and make time for the people we love. Same with our God.

Therefore, believers should be encouraged to express our love and surrender to God even more often, and begin to live out what we express without any fear because God's perfect love drives out all fear and we live, assured of His bountiful, unlimited, unconditional goodness toward us.

We want to put aside a single-dimensional understanding of worship which just discusses forms of worship and deal with the crux of worship, which is our RELATIONSHIP with God. God seeks those who are spirit to worship Him. He longs for us. He gave His Son that we might come to Him without sin and in righteousness that comes from Him.

Moreover, the worship of God in our lives wherever we are and whenever it is, should impact our very lives, attitudes, perspectives of people and things and even who God is.