The past four months have been a whirlwind of activity, obligations, and deadlines coming from every direction. The hospital filled with people battling pneumonia, influenza, cancer, and heart disease. My children were busy with sports activities. The list of things desiring more from me outweighed the desire of wanting better for myself.
Eventually busy breaks you. It breaks your spirit, your mind, your body, or some combination thereof. My breaking came in the form of restlessness, tossing and turning at night with an ongoing commentary of that day playing in my head, followed by a to-do list for the day to come. An unsettled mind needs the healing benefits of finding rest in worship.
We have little or no control over the surprises life can spring on us. Everything that enters our life has an effect on us. Each event, circumstance, and relationship leaves a positive or negative mark upon our lives. Ultimately, the many influences in our lives will mold our emotions, attitude, and mindset. Of course, our choices also have a major effect. We get to choose if we will remain overwhelmed or if we will seek ways to release the tension, ease our mind, and revive our hearts. When feeling bound by obligations, we need the freedom found in worship.
Worship is not difficult. Both believers and non-believers do it and do it easily. We all have experienced worship of something or someone. Football fans clap, shout, and high-five as their team scores a touchdown. They come together in stadiums of thousands to worship together. Music fans at a concert with their favorite artist also worship. We worship achievement, wealth, power and control. We worship food, comfort and security. We were created for worship and it comes naturally. Unfortunately, most of our worship fails to fill us in ways that are sustaining. Teams lose. People disappoint. The only worship capable of restoring and renewing us is worship that draws us closer to God.
We need worship to undo the damage of living demanding lives. We need times of rest from both the conscious and subconscious mental turmoil. We need opportunities to untangle our hearts from the messiness of hard living. Worship has been one of the most effective ways I’ve found to bring mental rest to an anxious and worried mind. Worship takes us deeper into the rest of God. It reminds each of us of God’s presence in our lives. As we look to Him, we look away from our difficulties and back to the only One able to fight our battles for us. It propels us past our disappointment and settles our hearts. Worship energizes us to believe God and strengthens our trust in His word. It awakens us to the promised joy of being in His presence.
The grace and mercy of God come in through our worship. As we pour out of our emptiness, He pours in through His abundance. Here we can more fully feel His embrace as He covers us with His garment of praise and removes the spirit of heaviness we have been carrying around. We are once again reminded He loves us in spite of our sins and issues. His acceptance is the safe place where we can surrender and begin dealing with the issues that keep us mentally entangled and emotionally bound. Worship is one of God’s gentle ways of confronting some of the hidden areas of pain in our life. As our praises begin to flow toward heaven, the blessing of His restorative power comes down to mend whatever is broken.
For me worship melts away my worries. It places my focus solely on the One who is able and reminds me that all I need to do is believe and hold fast to that
I love that Zee “melts away my worries”, YES!!
When we worship it’s all about Him. I forget my anxieties and fears. It’s such beautiful place to be.
Amen Elaine!
I believe that worship eases my mind and removes stress is because my focus isn’t on my problems but I focus on the words im singing and saying and hearing the words of worship reminds me of how close , how comforting and how big our God is!
There is something transformational about hearing yourself glorify God, even when your circumstances may not look like you should be worshipping. It really does remind you of how BIG God is. Thanks for your comments Savannah.
I am also a medical provider and sometimes get lost in busyness and patient concerns. By the time I get home after a busy day I sometimes feel like there is very little left for my family, hobbies, housework, and quiet time. Music restores my soul. If I can’t play music aloud because of husband’s activities or son’s homework, I have a blue-tooth I wear while making dinner so I can have one ear attuned to family and one to worship and decompression.
What a great idea Deb. I need to invest in a pair of Bluetooth earphones.
Praise and worship takes the emphasis off me and my problems and puts it on the Person who deserves all my attention.
Amen Kimberley!
I love this post. I find that when I put on worship music it points me back to Him and His strength. I find that the overwhelm feeling and heavy emotions I feel are released to Him. Thank you for this reminder.
So true Naomi. Worship can certainly lift the heaviness and leave us feeling lighter and refreshed. Thanks for your comments!
Life gets so hurried and harried. You think you’ve got all your balls in the air and BAM! Life hits you where it’s least expected. When I’m feeling overwhelmed about the challenges of life, I grab my praise and worship CDs and hide away from the world for awhile and let God speak to me as only He can. The music draws me into His arms like nothing else can.
Amen Barb! I love the way music draws us closer to Him.
It is a time to think about love for others, not yourself.
Listening to Charlotte Ritchie sing Let’s go down to the river and pray soothes my Spirit
Worship eases my mind and removes stress. I feel great.
Congratulations Gabrielly!! You won the Rest and Worship Giveaway!! Be on the look out for the email I just sent to you. Hope you have a restful week!
I always feel comfort when i tell him everything and open my heart to him..Then he is always with me..good and bad times