Soon the Christmas decorations will be put away and the carols that tell of the birth of our Savior will no longer be sung. As quickly as the Christmas season was ushered in, the symbols of Christmas will vanish from our stores, communities, and homes.  Thankfully, the gift of Christmas is eternal, and we must continue to worship Him daily!

“Lifestyle Worship” is a common topic among many Christians today.  It builds on the old saying that we must not just “talk the talk” but also “walk the walk.”  We were created to worship so our lives should be a living testament of our Lord and Savior who lives within us!

We worship as we read the Bible, pray, sing His praise, and spend time in quiet devotion with God.  We worship as we go to work or school, interact with our families, and engage with others in our community. Our daily worship as individuals is a vital part of our lives as Christians. We must connect with God on a regular basis, surrendering all that we are and all that we have to the Lord!  Eugene Peters offers an excellent definition and illustration of worship in his book, Leap Over a Wall. He writes,

“Worship is the strategy by which we interrupt our preoccupation with ourselves and attend to the presence of God. Worship is the time and place that we assign for deliberate attentiveness to God—not because He’s confined to time and place but because our self-importance is so insidiously relentless that if we don’t deliberately interrupt ourselves regularly, we have no chance of attending to Him at all at other times and in other places.”

As we move into 2022, keep the words of James 4:8 in your mind: “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” As each day of the new year unfolds, let us resolve to worship the one who is Wonderful, Counselor, Prince of Peace, Lord of Lords, and King of Kings.

Article by Brenda Widger, DWS. Brenda is a Doctorate in Worship Studies graduate of Liberty University. Brenda is the Music and Worship Director for Calvary Baptist Church, coming onboard in November of 2021.