Credit where credit is due
Take the compliment, she thinks to herself as she stands in front of someone impressive.
Instead, she hears back, “Oh, no, not me. This is really the work of the Lord.”
“Yes, but you did it.”
“I did it, but really, it is God’s direction through me.”
If you’re in a Christian circle, you’re familiar with this conversation, or I hope you’re familiar with this conversation. Someone has done some very inspiring work. Maybe it’s a mission project. Maybe it’s an inspirational talk. Maybe it’s a music solo or sermon that is particularly uplifting.
After you’ve experienced this rush, joy or connection to God, you approach the person with your compliment.
Then you feel a bit awkward, silenced or perhaps a bit shut down when you hear, “It’s the Lord. It’s all the Lord. I just showed up.”
In Revelation 22:8-9, we hear John, the author of Revelation, experience the best of the best, the eternal city. Here heaven is revealed.
After taking this all in, John drops down to worship at the feet of the angel who has shown him these amazingly spectacular glimpses of what is truly pure bliss. John wants to praise and perhaps even worship the angel. To John, the angel is like, “Ah, hmm. Um. Yeah. Don’t worship ME, dude. Worship God.”
The angel didn’t use those words, but the gist is clear: worship only God. Be inspired, struck, illuminated, awed, affected, directed, guided, motivated and yes, very truly wowed not by the artist but the art itself, the Creator of the creation.
I had an incredible experience during the summer of 1987. With one of the deepest and greatest Whitney Houston fans, I went to a Whitney Houston concert. This was a first (and turns out only) big name show I ever attended.
As two poor singers ourselves at this point, our tickets were seven stories above the nosebleed section. We were probably three miles above the stage where this upcoming super star was performing.
I still remember Whitney’s sound that night. Maybe you don’t know or authentically appreciate Whitney (how could you!), but here’s my point. That music—her sound—was heavenly. It had nothing to do that I was a mile from heaven at this point. It has everything to do with the fact that I knew God had gifted this artist, this singer.
Yes, this singer was singing (ah, understatement), but the experience was from God.
Appreciate and value Whitey? Yes. Worship Whitney? No.
Worship is from God and worship is for God.
Maybe it’s Elvis for you, or the Beetles and the British invasion. Maybe it’s an artist in this new century. Maybe it’s not an artist at all but a sports phenom, racehorse, or some tech piece that truly leaves you with goosebumps up one arm and down the other.
But back to the angel with John. We can worship the artist or creator, but how much more of a step is it to worship The Artist and Creator?
Maybe you’ve never taken that step before, or even thought there even could be a step. But as August 2023 opens for all of us, I invite you to worship God.
Oh, a pastor inviting you to worship God. Been there. Done that. But get back to that. The worship thing, that is. The oh-so-good peach pie with ice cream, the sound of a child laughing, the splash of lake water on your skin, the delight of soft grass under your bare feet, the vast array of orange in the sunset and cool night air so barely lit by the moon, yes, worship the One who created and gives us these joys.
And the worship of the One who gives us these things leads you closer to Him. The closer to Him, yep, I’m gonna say it, leads you to more formal and informative worship where you gather.
That place is church.
Give credit where credit is due, and that’s to God with worship.
Amen Dear Pastor Will!! I think we stood in line for hours beforehand. What a memory and without question, I think Oprah quoted “When Whitney sings, you hear God.”