Worship

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4:45 AM. Furnace running. Cats purring. Dog snoring. Warm, toasty bed. Renewing my mind this morning proved to be more difficult than usual. Ever have one of those mornings? For the last 4 or 5 months though, God has been pressing me to "spiritualize" my mornings, meaning: get into the Word early. It has felt necessary. It is firmly and spiritually proactive. It is wholly and entirely a God thing.

Well, let's see, here's my short list of things that needed to get done before work today: the trash barrel needed to be dragged to the road through the snow, one of the Himalayans dislodged a hairball right underfoot, so that needed to be cleaned up, two dead mice found in the kitchen needed to be disposed of (good kitties!), the dogs had torn up empty boxes and had strewn them all over the back room (bad doggies!), so that needed to be picked up, all the animal water dishes had to be defrosted, all the animals needed to be fed, the rabbit needed a litter box cleaning and fresh water, lunch needed to be packed, breakfast needed to be prepared, pants needed to be ironed, shower, hair, makeup, exercise and devotions.

Why am I listing all of these morning activities? Not because I am special or more burdened than anyone else but because when we DON'T take the time to renew our minds FIRST, we lose track of where we are supposed to be walking. I can easily speak these words from experience. When we don't accomplish the most important thing, connecting with our Father, it is like walking into a dripping, wet cavern and hand-feeling our way along the mossy, slimy walls. We see only what our hands feel. Very inaccurate and misleading.

God has shown me that when I choose to stop and read, study and meditate on the Word first, my prayer life becomes animated and full. When I pray more for others, my love not only remains intact, but bursts forth from me in countless God-led ways. When I am putting myself aside, God opens doors that my puny faith could never open on its own!

Paul wrote in Romans, "Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's Will is--His good, pleasing and perfect Will."

So, there it is. In order to know God in an intimate enough way to perceive His Will, in order to be transformed by obedience to it, we must offer up the sleepiness, the warm bed, the overwhelming list of chores to do and our desire to get everything done. He accepts our little sacrifices (the seemingly insignificant act of getting out of bed and opening the Word), as worship. It is, in fact, the truest form of worship, this sacrificing of our own desires for His! We are rewarded with discernment, insight, a fresh mind and spirit with which to begin our day...and, best of all, the opportunity to live in HIS PERFECT WILL! When this occurs, when we deny our extra 15 minutes of sleep for Him, our spirits will soar like that split second when an eagle's wings catch the warm thermals.

Up and at 'em everybody!

c 1/13/2010 M. LaPointe

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