Worthy You Are Worthy

This past Saturday I was in church (Commonwealth Chapel) and heard the Matt Redman song "Worthy, You Are Worthy" for the first time and really enjoyed it! It truly made me think, though... Yes, Our God is WORTHY and worthy to be praised, but how do we show this to the world?

Jesus said in Matthew 10:37-39: "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."

The Psalmist writes (145:3) "Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom." (96:4) "For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods."

In my opinion, when we sing "God You are worthy of praise!" we should really be living it out, as well, so that the world can see (1 Peter 2:11-12)! So how can we show the world that God is worth it? In Matthew 14, Jesus deliberately sends his disciples and a crowd away so that he can pray to His Father. Jesus was showing His disciples that the Father is worth it to Him. Spending time with God is that important. Another great example is a good friend of mine, Kaitlyn Eimer, who is serving the Lord in Ethiopia. Although she spends a good amount of time in Bible Studies and reading spiritual books throughout the day, and although she's in Ethiopia with some free time at nights, she is committed to getting up at 6 am each morning so she can run and have her devotionals. She is proving to the people around her that God is worth it to her. God is worth losing some sleep in the morning so she can start her day off right. No one would know nor would people probably care if she just slept in until breakfast each morning, but she's going out of the norm and glorifying God by following Jesus' example (Mark 1:35). There's also the story of a former JMU IV student who, when JMU Basketball was really good (we're on the uphill climb!), would not go to basketball games because that was his time with Jesus. He loved basketball and already had quiet times in the morning, but he was showing his friends that God is worth it to him- He chooses God over basketball games. So a common element in these stories is sacrifice. Sacrifice of sleep, of exciting basketball games... also, just being joyful in these sacrifices! Jesus LOVED His time alone with God, as I know Kaitlyn does and I'm sure the other student did, as well. When the people around us see that we're sacrificing something not-normal and being JOYFUL through it all, that's when they will truly discover how worth it God is to us.

Hillsong United, in their song "Came to My Rescue", says "In my life, be lifted high; in my world, be lifted high; in my love, be lifted high!" It's a beautiful picture of total surrender: in our day-to-day activities (life), in how we interact with everything that happens around us (world), and in our relationships (love)... Jesus should be #1. So He says in Matthew 10:37-39.

I am seeking to glorify God through getting up early in the morning to pray, as well, though I am FAR from even being just really good at it. There are also other ways to prove it to the people around you that God is worth it! I challenge you to pray and ask God how He would have you impact the world around you (what you can sacrifice?) for His greatest glory by proving to the world that He is worth it in your life.