Distractions of Worship

You know, I have gone to church my whole life… And I feel very blessed to have such GREAT parents and “family” whether they are biological or not. Ever since I was little I have always referred to the music portion of a church service as “WORSHIP”. I guess I started calling it that because that’s what everyone else was calling it, so I figured that’s just what it was called. It wasn’t until just a few months ago, maybe mid-May that I was reading in my Bible about worship. Did you know that the word WORSHIP appears approximately 102 times through out the Bible? From all of my reading, and praying I came to the conclusion that worship isn’t just a time and place kind of thing, it’s a WAY of LIFE!! We shouldn’t just worship during the music portion of a church service, whether it be Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, or whatever day you have a church service… we should worship everyday, all day long! Wherever we are, may it be school, home, work, or even Wal-Mart! Our words, thoughts, and actions should be said, thought, or done in a way that is pleasing to our Heavenly Father!
Over time we have gotten into routine, church on Sundays, busy busy throughout the week, maybe church Wednesday night, busy until Sunday comes again. So even when we are at church on Sunday morning we have 852,649 things running through our minds that we can’t focus on Jesus during that 2 hour period of time we have set aside for Him. We let anything and everything become a distraction, holding our kids, holding someone else’s kid, someone coming in the door in the back, the guy at the end of the row’s watch beeped, the lady in the front just dropped something, there is a cell phone vibrating cause someone didn’t take the time to turn it off, they just turned it down so it wouldn’t ring out loud. When we have this mind set that being at church on Sunday morning is just part of our routine anything can become a distraction. I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of being distracted!! Worshiping Jesus Christ with everything I am is becoming my way of life… Will you let it become yours?
Just this past Sunday I was holding a little girl during church, but I also kept my focus straight. I didn’t let my holding her keep my attention from the One who deserves it! I worshiped, sang, and prayed just like I would have had I not been holding her. Someone came to me after the service was over and asked me how I could hold the little girl and still be “all in worship” as they put it? My answer was, “Simple, no matter where we are our focus should be on Christ, just because I was holding Ansley didn’t make it any different. & honestly, I forgot I was holding her at times…” I didn’t let her become a distraction for me. I hope that the next time that guy’s watch beeps, the lady in front drops something, or someone’s baby cries you don’t let it distract your focus from being on Christ! He deserves our everything!!
Lord, I pray that my focus is always on You! I pray that I don’t let things around me become a distraction. Help me to get out of this routine, this complacent place so that worship is my way of life. I hope and pray that my words, thoughts, and actions are pleasing to You, God! I’m sorry for not realizing sooner that worship wasn’t just a time and place thing, and I thank you for your unending love and mercy that forgives my wrongs! In Your Holy Name I pray… AMEN!!