Worship With Every Laugh

A couple nights ago I found one of my bibles that I hadn't read from in a while. It is a parallel bible, with the NIV translation next to The Message translation. As I was reading through Isaiah, I thought 'You know, it'd be cool to read The Message version after I'm done'. So, I read The Message translation of Isaiah chapter one. I came across a passage that sorta slapped me upside the head. I hadn't quite understood it while reading it in NIV, but The Message version made so much sense...

"When you come before me, who ever gave you the idea of acting like this, running here and there, doing this and that-- all this sheer commotion in the place provided for worship? Quite your worship charades. I can't stand your trivial religious games: monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings-- meetings, meetings, meetings-- I can't stand one more!... I'm sick of your religion, religion, religion, while you go right on sinning. When you put on your next prayer-performance, I'll be looking the other way....And do you know why? Because you've been tearing people to pieces,and your hands are bloody....Clean up your act...Work for justice. Help the down-and-out. Stand up for the homeless. Go to bat for the defenseless."

What God is saying here, is that we make a routine and tradition out of worship and prayer. We just go along with it because we always have. It's just a meaningless motion that we don't put our hearts into. He doesn't want us to just attend church on Sunday mornings, or only talk about Him in a church meeting. He doesn't want His way constrained to just one aspect of our life, He wants it in all aspects of our life.

The part of this passage that made me think most, was the very first part: All this sheer commotion in the place provided for worship? Do we over think worship? Shouldn't it just be a simple, pure, thoughtless, continuous praise? Aren't we supposed to praise and worship God not only with our mouths and hearts, but also with our lives? We don't need to stress and cause commotion over worship, we just need to do it. I mean, we were created to worship God. And if we were created to worship Him, doesn't it seem like we should be able to do what we were created to do without stress?

I think another thing God is trying to say is that He would much rather have us out helping the homeless and serving those in need, than have us sitting in a chair or pew! The best way to worship and praise God is by serving His children! When we serve others when they are in need, we are really serving Jesus (Matthew 25:31-46).

My purpose is to fulfill God's plans for me and worship Him. I plan on obeying every word He says to me. And I plan on worshiping Him with every action, breath, step, word, laugh, sneeze. Everything I do can be used for His glory, and I plan on making that clear.


Worship with every laugh.