Faith expressed is mere love is glorifying. Now breathe.

There is this field I drive by every day. I'm convinced God lives there. When my sister & I passed it the other day, as I shared my yearning for this field, she could not understand why. I'd be lying if I myself knew. Plowed field with cornstalks symmetrically aligned in the distance, somehow, it seems that the most beautiful hues of blue always rest above that single field. Lost in a trans every time I drive by it, it is almost second nature to just pull the car over & capture this earth that captivates my heart, fills me with the deepest peace. I recognize that God made it for what it does- bringing him glory. So if this place was made to bring him glory- & it's doing a fantastic job- what am I made for? Are these drives it? Going to & from work, retail hours, waking to work & coming to sleep. Is this... everything?

The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they display knowledge.

There is no speech or language

where their voice is not heard.

Their voice goes out into all the earth,

their words to the ends of the world.

(Psalm 19:1-4)

His, Mine, & Ours.

I love to knit. Scratch that. I love everything & anything crafty I can take my creativity out on, placing on display for my own pleasure. I look at the things I've handmade with a joy & gladness, so pleased with every feature. Whether knitting or anything else I make, I am always enthralled with the piece. It's precious, made just special for me. It's mine.

Know that the Lord is God.

It is he who made us, & we are his;

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

(Psalm 100:3)

My crafty nature is yet another reflection of God's character. He made everything, & He made it well. The ultimate potter, He did not make things with parts He wasn't fond of- just to add some flare. He handcrafted each & every being in His own likeness (literally), each holding a new string to His heart.

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

before you were born I set you apart;

I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.

(Jeremiah 1:5)

You hem me in- behind & before;

you have laid your hand upon me...

For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully & wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful,

I know that full well.

(Psalm 139:5,13-14)

And God saw everything that He had made, & it was very good.

(Genesis 1:31)

Lest we forget the works.

Good was an understatement, & you were included. It wasn't just the animals, beautiful flowers, & evening stars that did it- YOU were created 'very good'! David praised God because he was made wonderfully. All His works are wonderful. Often times we think of works as our actions. God works everything out for our good. There's an action. And all of that is fine, dandy, & true, but don't forget that we are God's works- we are his actions. He made us. We are His creation. We are His very good. Got that? Good. Now soak this in:

His very good came before we did anything.

I'll sleep when I'm dead.

Yes, it's important that your life reflect that of Christ- He is in you, after all. But all the good works are simply an overflow of the heart, proof of a greater transformation that lies inside of you. 

But because of His great of for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions- it is by grace you have been saved.

(Ephesians 2:4)

But when the kindness & love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy.

(Titus 3:4-5)

Salvation is something misconstrued & often times misinterpreted as nothing more than a guilty conscious under the pressure of an overbearing lover. Another if you love me you will love story. Please understand that is not love. I'm a doer, as well as many other women I know. We live life in the traffic of running, never missing a Sunday morning service, Sunday evening service, & a Tuesday night small group. Tuesday nights are always a tough decision between whether I'll go to my churches small group for students my age, or stay home & attend my parents' bible study they've been leading for a few years now. Somehow no matter what I choose, I always feel guilty. Guilty because I can't be two places at once. I run, run, run, filling every time that was originally allotted 'free time', filling it with more things I could do- as if it's getting me somewhere. So instead of resting in the grace that saved me before I could know I needed rescued, I try harder next time. That is not love. That is not what God expects from me. 

Worship with the rocks, not that band.

When I kept silent,
my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long
For day & night 
your hand way heavy upon me;
my strength was sapped 
as in the heat of summer.
(Psalm 32:3-4)

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines worship as 'extravagant respect or admiration for or devotion to an object of esteem' & 'to honor or reverence as a divine being or supernatural power'. The synonyms include to adore, to love, & to glorify. So when God refers to worship, what if we extract every instrument & church building where we all 'go' to worship? That would leave us with homes, places of employment, & malls to love Him in. That would place us surrounded by people who haven't yet had that defining moment in their life where they raise their white flag in surrender. They would see Christ, & he would be glorified. His people wouldn't feel so unashamed, because they wouldn't seem so weird once all of His children took on their role. Confidence risen, worship perfected. Maybe we should try it.

So this worship thing?

The overflow of the heart; the rhythm to our walk. When we believe with all our mind, body, & soul that He is the object of esteem, our breath of life (worship), we can't help but make him the central focus of all we are (worship). And when we've tasted, seen, & committed, we glorify Him, illuminating the darkest of places (worship). We love Him (worship), because He first loved us. So we live according to His calling.

...but in these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things...

(Hebrews 1:2)

All authority in heaven & on earth has been given to me. Therefore go & make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father & of the Son & of the Holy Spirit, & teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. & surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

(Matthew 28:18-20)

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

(Ephesians 2:10)

Here's what I'll leave you with: James writes, "What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such a faith save him?" (2:14) Faith expressed is love. You do the math.