While thinking through some aspects of worship recently I went back to a book I’ve been reading off and on for a few months: All In, by: Mark Batterson. Chapter 12 has some interesting points when speaking about how all we do should give glory to God. He relates about J.S. BACH; (famous church musician/composer from the early 19th century) Bach was to classical music what William Shakespeare was to English literature.
Batterson relates:
Listening to Bach’s music is a rapturous experience, but it’s not just because of the melodies and harmonies. It’s more than the mere combination of notes. It’s the motivation behind the music. The reason Tocata and Fugue in D Minor or Mass in B Minor touch the soul is that they come from the soul. Bach’s cantatas didn’t originate as music. They were prayers before they were songs, literally. Before Bach started scoring a sheet of music, he would scrawl J.J. (Jesu Juva) at the very top. It was the simplest of prayers: Jesus help me. Then, at the completion of every composition, Bach inscribed three letters in the margin of his music: SDG. Those three letters stood for the Latin phrase, Soli Deo Gloria –to the glory of God alone…..His life was a unique translation of that singular motive
Batterson continues to point out.
It’s not about what you do.
It’s about why you do what you do.
Ultimately, it’s about who you do it for.
In God’s kingdom, it’s our motivations that matter most. If you do the right thing for the wrong reason, it doesn’t even count. God judges the motives of the heart, and He only rewards those who do the right thing for the right reason.
Examining our motivation in everything we do is a constant struggle! Acknowledging our weaknesses, submitting our will to His control and following Him is the ultimate goal of our lives.
Worship is more than a weekly occurrence; a meeting in a set aside place. Worship is a lifestyle which begins by surrendering our will and desires to His control. It even influences how we do our work each week.
Ephesians 3:23 states:
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not human masters.
Mark Batterson explains about this verse.
The phrase “with all your heart” means “with extra energy.” It means giving it everything you’ve got –100 percent. It literally means doing something like your life depended on it. The issue is not WHAT you are doing. The real issue is WHY you do it, HOW you do it, and WHO you do it for.
He continues:
Anyone can do a good job at a good job, but there is something God-glorifying about doing a good job at a bad job. Anybody can be nice to a nice boss, but there is something God-glorifying when you love like Jesus in a godless work environment.
Wow! How clear is that?! Bro. Rick is spending the next several weeks examining the passage from Galatians 2:20: I am crucified with Christ, therefore I no longer live Jesus Christ now lives in me…
Crucifying (killing) the old self is not an easy task. It is also not a one time, done deal! We must “crucify” our selfish desires and attitudes DAILY to walk as He has called us to walk. That is painful, and often times we crumble before success is achieved. Perseverance as we rely upon His strengthening renewal is key to our success and eternal joy!
“Focus” is also central to a life lived in submission to Christ’s control as followers. When troubles and hard times come we must focus less on the external circumstances and more on how we are to react as Christ would.
Mark Batterson concludes chapter 12 with the following.
Our prayers tend to focus on external circumstances more than internal attitudes because we’d rather have God change the circumstances than change us. It’s a lot easier that way, but we miss the point altogether. It’s the worst circumstances that often brings out the best in us. And if it’s bad things that bring out good things, then maybe those bad things are good things in the grand scheme of things! You can be saved without suffering, but you cannot be sanctified without suffering. That doesn’t mean you seek it out, but it does mean you see it for what it is. It’s an opportunity to glorify God.
…I don’t want to minimize the loss you’ve experienced, but I do want to remind you there is nothing you possess that wasn’t given to you by God. It’s His prerogative to give. And it’s His prerogative to take away. But there is one thing that can never be taken from you, and that is Jesus Christ. And if you have Jesus, then you have everything you will ever need for all eternity.
Everything – Jesus = NOTHING
JESUS + Nothing = EVERYTHING