Joining In

When you’re a kid one of your worst fears is to be excluded from a group. We want desperately to be approved of, cared for, and connected with other human beings. We feel validated when we are asked to join in on whatever activity is going on, especially if it’s something that we want to be a part of.

 

It’s funny how not much changes when we get older. The stakes may be higher and the exclusions commenced under a greater pretense of politeness, but really, we still want to feel like we belong – like we are part of the “cool crowd.”  We want to feel like we are a part of something that’s important.

Yet for the Christian we know that the truly important things are not things of this world but things of Heaven. So we may feel that we can’t join in on what matters, that we have to wait until another time when we will be in our Heavenly home.

Except that we can. Because the business of heaven is worshiping God. However imperfect and faulted this world may be, we can still set our hearts and minds upon bringing Him praise. Not just through music (although that is certainly one great way to worship), but through how we live.

And perhaps this is even greater encouragement for those who have a loved one who has already gone to be with the Lord. Although it can feel like there is a great divide between us and them, we can participate in the same thing that they are doing- praising our King. We don’t have to wait until we are there with them – we can begin giving Him adoration and honor now.

So let us add our own voices to the heavenly chorus. Let our lives be focused on the same thing of those who are enjoying eternal life. Let us join in worshiping our Lord.

 

For a great song that touches on this, check out Sovereign Grace’s The Glories of Calvary [affiliate link].

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(Almost) Everything I Need To Know

A popular book claims that All I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. In it the author demonstrates that as kids we learned most of what we need to know about how we treat others and how we should act. The problem is applying these lessons as adults.


What I recently realized is that in a lot of ways, this is true for our Christian walk too. Specifically, I realized that many of the songs I learned as a kid still carried important truths that I sadly don’t regularly apply each and every day  So, although I’m sure this is not comprehensive, here’s a refresher of the truths we learned as kids:

  • This is the Day – Today is God’s day. Regardless of what happens in it, I need to “rejoice and be glad in Him.” Seemingly easy to do in preschool, but perhaps even more important to do as an adult. Recognizing that every day I live on this Earth is a day that God wants to accomplish something in my life makes every day a special day. Let’s celebrate and be thankful for God’s provision of today.

 

  • Deep and Wide – One of the reasons we have to celebrate regardless of what happens in our day – God’s immeasurable love. We can’t know the depths or the breadths of it, but we can rest in His love. If the day holds nothing else for us, it holds this truth – God’s love is flowing like a fountain and it is deeper and wider than we can ever day. Let us wash ourselves in His love today.

 

  • Beloved, Let us Love One Another – The best way to partake of God’s love – drink of His fountain and share it with others. Scripture specifically says that those who love God, will love others. Our ability to love others comes from our love of God. Therefore let us love God deeply and in doing so, love each other deeply too.

 

  • Rise and Shine – In all we do, whether in work or play, we have to get up, get going, and “give God the glory, glory.” Just as Noah built the ark at God’s command, even though he had never seen rain, so we must commit to doing what God has called us to do today, and in it honor Him. Our job is to put God’s goodness on display. We better get moving!

What truths about God did you learn as a kid?

 

 

[This post contains affiliate links.]

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