EquippedMama

Only two months into a new year and there are already ample headlines to keep our favorite news stations humming. With the barrage of change in our nation, it is so easy to get caught up in refreshing news pages, looking for our desired outcomes to situations to be announced. It is a real temptation to let quiet times with the Lord be traded for mindless scrolling and senseless worrying. Sound familiar?

Revisiting Mary’s response to the announcement of the Incarnation, we are reminded that times of unrest are times to worship. Times when we do not have answers, we are tempted to turn away from the One who is Sovereign and attempt to fix our problems ourselves. Where does this leave us? Anxious. Angry. Exhausted.

How does worship help our problems? As one author explained, Worship is re-orientation. He writes;

Not only does reorientation lead to worship, but worship leads to reorientation. And oh, how often we need that reorientation! Life’s problems-all of them-can be completely solved only by worshipfully bowing to God as the reason for our existence. The universe is His stage, and worship helps us realize this perspective.

Hager, Jonathan. Not Primary Colors, pg. 7.

Mary’s opening lines of her worship-saturated prayer reflect a true understanding of this perspective, also. She says,

And Mary said,

“My soul exalts the Lord,

and my spirit has begun to rejoice in God my Savior,

because he has looked upon the humble state of his servant.

For from now on all generations will call me blessed,

 because he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name;

Luke 1:46-49. New English Translation (NET)NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

Worship molds our focus. In this prayer, Mary focuses on the Lord as being her Savior, and calls herself “his servant.” She identifies character qualities of God and praises Him for these attributes: He is mighty. He has done great things. Holy is His name. Mary believed these things to be true. She shifted her eyes from her personal circumstances to the God who had ordained these events to happen. Rather than questioning Him, she chose to worship for being allowed to play a part in His plan.

How do we worship God in 2021, where poverty and abuse and disease run rampant?

We worship God the exact same way now as in the most prosperous of times. Worship isn’t about our circumstances, it is about a God who is sovereign over our circumstances. Let’s take time out of our busy lives to meditate on the truths of who God is, and celebrate the fact that He who is mighty has done great things- and continues to do so! Let’s take time to worship Him for who He is, and allow this worship to shape our focus.

So, where do we start?

One practical prerequisite for implementing worship into your life is to make time for it- often this means we cut out something from our daily schedules. If you spend substantial time surfing the web or watching multiple television shows, perhaps this is an easy place to carve 15 minutes out of your day. Look to create a margin in your life where you do not feel rushed to complete your time, but where you can truly focus and enjoy praising the Lord.

Find a place. If you have kiddos, this can be a real challenge! Try to find somewhere in your home where you can, with some measure of predictability, be alone. Maybe its your closet, or the kitchen after the dishes are done. Anywhere you can concentrate is great.

Focus. This means focus on Who you are talking to. Focus on His worthiness. Force yourself to make times of worship not about spouting off your needs, but on truly praising the Lord for who He is. If you can’t seem to get started, or aren’t comfortable with crafting worship, start by reading a Psalm, and praying it back to the Lord (If you don’t know where to start, Psalm 100 starts a string of many worship-filled songs- start reading and pick one!) You may get creative and start writing your own song of praise, or incorporate worship songs or hymns you know-just try to be mindful that worship is focused on the character and nature of God.

Make it a habit. Maybe you can’t spend focused time in worship every day, but make it a regular part of your routine. Be creative and make the conscious decision to worship.

For more help on learning how to worship, I highly suggest this book!