Worship is more than song. It's more than verbal expressions. Worship is a way of life that both acknowledges and honors God's presence. Living a life that centers on worship, while taking us in any number of directions, will require both sacrifice and celebration. When I think about living my life as an act of worship, I identify three steps.
1) What can I do?
In this first step I look at my life like an artist looks at a canvas. This is the step to Dream Big. And to get started I ask myself two questions: What are my gifts? And What are my passions? Once I’ve identified those two things, I then see where my gifts and my passions overlap. That becomes my Dream Big painting.
2) How can I do it?
In this step, I try to put some wheels on the dream. This is the stage when I try to imagine how I can make the dream work with my life, exactly where it is at the moment. I take note of where I’m at in terms of time and money. You might ask yourself, Do I have summers off? Or perhaps just a week? What would be the best way to use that time? Is it raising money this summer and going the next? Is it going somewhere now or for Spring Break on a short term service team? Basically, I think of my Big Dream painting and see how it will fit within the practicality of my own life.
3) Where can I connect?
In this last step, once I’ve identified my Dream Big painting and my Real Life parameters, I now need to see where I can connect. You might ask yourself, Are there local organizations serving people in ways that spark joy in me? Are there international organizations out there doing awesome stuff but need volunteers or funding? The most important aspect of this step for me is to connect to organizations that not only value my help, but also demonstrate a non-paternalistic approach. That is, whether I work with an organization for one summer or a lifetime, I want my time and effort not just to make an impact in the immediate future, but have a true and lasting impact.
How will you worship today?
