What holds your attention?

Note: The following is an article I wrote for my church's monthly newsletter, but I think it applies to all of us, worship leader and congregation member alike. It is my prayer that we will commit ourselves fully to worshipping our God, the creator and savior of us all. 


What holds your attention?

What keeps your focus?

What prevents you from fully engaging?

For some of us it’s our health or the health of a family member. For others of us it’s our children or the crazy schedule we have to keep. Some of us are distracted by what we wish church was like, instead of what it is.

No matter what it is that keeps you distracted and steals your focus, we are all guilty.

When we come into worship on Sunday morning or sit down with our Bible each day we are purposely spending time with our savior, and when we are just going through the motions it can feel like a chore. Sometimes getting up early for church can feel like more of a hassle than a blessing. Carving out those 15 minutes each day can feel like an irritation and snag in our schedule. It is so important that we know that God craves that time with each of us! Our relationship with Him is not one sided, as it can sometimes feel. As you begin to think about what distractions are keeping you from fully engaging with God I want to encourage you with a few psalms that have helped me to fully engage with Him through worship.

God delights in you. Psalm 18:19 says, “He brought me out into a broad place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me” (emphasis mine). How wonderful is that? Our God delights in us! That time that we spend with Him nurtures our relationship with Him. He desires that time with His children!

God is big enough to cover all of those things that are distracting you. Psalm 46:1-3 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult.” How wonderful to take comfort and refuge in the God that not only created the earth, the universe, and you, but will also see it through it’s many changes and upheavals. Including all those distractions. I promise, those things will be there in an hour.

We need to only be still.  Psalm 46:10a, “Be still, and know that I am God!” It doesn’t say, “Think about all the stuff you have to do today, and know that I am God!”
It says “Be still.”
Quiet your mind of all those distractions and rest in the knowledge that He is God and you are not.

We are here, in His sanctuary, to worship our God and Savior. Psalm 84 reminds us that it is not just our lips that that sing His praises, but our hearts and whole selves. Psalm 84:1-2, “How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, indeed it faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God” (emphasis mine). Take that hour on Sunday or those 15 minutes each morning and let your heart and flesh sing for joy to Him!

The time that we spend with our savior is precious! Be present! Be engaged! Let those distractions go and truly worship.