I am pregnant with the Word of God this morning, anticipating the moment I get to open my mouth and allow it to flow out like a refreshing river. It is a great experience waking up every morning with this undying need to deliver the Word of God to the children of God. It doesn't matter what comes against me or tries to distract me because the love of Christ compels me to be faithful to the task he has given to me. I pray you are waking up to a similar attitude, particular to your calling in the Body of Christ.
Too often we allow circumstances and emotions to cloud our vision of Jesus and the calling which he has given us. Perhaps you have woken up to screaming children or a number of problems that have to be dealt with. Perhaps you have aches and pains, a school report that has to be done, or a great sense of aloneness. I could name a thousand different things that could weigh you down today, preventing you from walking fully in your calling, but there is one simple truth that should put them all to flight: the joy of the Lord is our strength.
You don't belong to those circumstances any more, they must respond to the authority you have in Jesus Christ. You are now a child of God, a new creation, and all those things that enslaved you at one time must now submit themselves to you. Your moods, your emotions, your health must all respond as you call them to obedience. So what will you tell them? Will you tell them to carry on as usual, giving them authority to dictate to you once again, or will you command them to rejoice because this is the day the Lord has made.
Please trust me on this: you need to start every day with praise and worship. Take the time to lift your hands, heart and voice to the one who has given you life in abundance. If you do, all things will fall into their proper priorities; the insignificant will once again be insignificant. Throw aside all the negative stuff, which are just lies from the enemy anyway, and lift your voice in thanksgiving, for all the good gifts the Father has poured out on you. It is a choice we make every day, to worship in the spirit or to complain in the flesh. Even most of the psalmists had grievances but they brought them to the Lord with an attitude of praise and thanksgiving:
My heart is steadfast, O God;
I will sing and make music with all my soul.
Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.
I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
For great is your love, higher than the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
and let your glory be over all the earth. (Psalm 108:1-5)
As we open our eyes each morning we need to bring our thoughts into submission to our spirit, that we would remember why we have life, to remember who we are and who we belong to, to remember how great our God is:
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever. (Psalm 107:1)
The world needs to see God's children praising him. They need to hear us lifting up the name of Jesus out of adoration and love. They need to see the sincerity of our worship, not because we are told we have to, but because we want to, out of a thankful heart. Consider all the great and wonderful works of God and you will begin to worship from the overflow of your thankful heart. Great is your love oh God, for you are good and your love endures forever. Join the chorus of all those who worship the Father, Son and Holy Spirit this morning and see how great your day becomes, regardless of how it began.
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