14 Ways to Worship w/ Your Life!

14 Ways to Worship with Your Life
by Laura MacCorkle

Ever wonder why it seems so much easier to make "worship" a verb for three hours on a Sunday morning or two hours on a Wednesday night?
Laura MacCorkle is an editor living in Dallas, TX. She enjoys singing in a civic chorus as well as her church choir.

What happens when we get back out into the real world? You know … like when you're standing in the "Express – 10 Items or Less" line at the grocery store and the guy in front of you has got a week's worth of food to check out. Grrrr.
Yes, that's when real worship kicks in.
So how can you honor the Lord when it gets down to the nitty-gritty of living? How can you worship Him with your life? Try these 14 ways on for size. …

1)Love the unlovely. Leviticus 19:18 It's easy to love the people you like. But how about those you don't? Like the lady in choir who talks incessantly about herself. You don't want to hear another word about her uncle's brother's cousin's co-worker's foot problem. But like the church choir lady, perhaps you are someone else's "unlovely." Think about that the next time she corners you. Try seeing her and loving her the way God sees and loves you.

2)Give God your firstfruits. Proverbs 3:9 Whatever is precious to you right now in your life, try giving it to God and see what happens. Perhaps it's a chunk – or all! -- of your bonus check from work. Maybe one of your firstfruits is your time. Try giving your entire day off to the Lord. Spend that time in prayer. Or reading Scripture. Or finishing long-promised items on your "honey-do" list.

3)Pick up litter. 1 Peter 4:10 How many times do you pass the same crushed up Coke can that's been on the sidewalk for a week now? Trash pickup isn't listed as a specific spiritual gift per se, but perhaps lifting a hand – and a plastic baggy -- to clean up the world around you is exactly what God is calling you to do.

4)Be neighborly. Borrow some sugar. Luke 10:25-37 As believers, everyone is our neighbor. But sometimes we forget that our neighbors are really our neighbors as described in Luke. Whether we live in a high-rise or on several country acres, we all have people who live next to us. Become a fisher of neighbors and extend your hand to them. Make them wonder why you should care.

5)Say "please" and "thank you." 1 Peter 2:17 These two words do secure second glances these days. When you're polite to whom you're talking, people will notice. And hopefully they will be changed. Plus, since we are made in God's image, we are ultimately showing respect to our heavenly King. Remember that the next time you think a cashier is rude and not worthy.

6)Be stealth. Give in secret. Matthew 6:1-4 Have you ever noticed how exciting it is to do something nice for someone anonymously? If you found your newspaper at your front door instead of all the way down at the end of the driveway, would you be upset? Or if your dinner bill was already covered when it came time to pay up, would you refuse such kindness? Your "giving in secret" opportunities are endless.

7)Show your muscle. Help the weak. 1 Thessalonians 5:14 Do you know someone who is spiritually weaker than you? Come alongside your brother or sister in Christ and walk with them, as the Lord guides you in helping to strengthen their faith. Discipleship and mentoring opportunities abound for all ages and levels of spiritual maturity. Ask the Lord how you can help someone learn to lean more heavily on Him.

8)Cut out the distractions. Turn off the tube. Philippians 4:8 We're talking radical. Go ahead and turn off your television for a day. A week. A month. A year! See if you're less distracted and more in tune with what the Lord is saying in your life. See if "miraculously" you have more time to meditate on God's Word and serve Him better.

9)Give up the gossip. Proverbs 18:8 Sure, at first it seems fun to dish. There's laughter involved and you feel better about yourself when you magnify someone else's failures and foibles, right? Wrong. What goes down smooth and tasty will later only promote dissension and do your heart and mind no good. The next time you encounter a gossip circle or situation, try saying something nice about the person in question. Or better yet, be drastic and just walk away.

10)Forget about the dust bunnies. Open up your home. Luke 10:38 It may seem like a no-brainer, but the simple act of opening your home to others can be pleasing to the Lord. Whether you're living on the side of a cliff in a glass house or in a trailer park, your home can be used for God's glory. A comfy place to sit, a hot cup of coffee and meaningful conversation are all that's needed. So put out the welcome mat, and see what He can do.

11)Take care of yourself. Romans 12:1 Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. And as a living sacrifice, it represents the totality of all that you are and do for the Lord. Do you treat it as you should? Or is your visible form merely a receptacle for the fast-food drive-thru, a pack of smokes and the effects of daily couch time? Take inventory and ask the Lord how to make your body a better home for His Spirit.

12)Drive the speed limit. Romans 13:1-5 How does one worship the Lord by keeping the speedometer in check? By submitting to an earthly authority and obeying its rules and regulations, we are submitting to God, our heavenly ruler who has established this system. Remember this the next time you're passing through a school speed zone when you're late for work.

13)Lend a hand. And a shoulder. Galatians 6:2 If you live on the fourth floor of an apartment walk-up, then you know it's no fun to carry up the groceries each week. Likewise, it's not always a thrill to deal with the incredible burden of our weaknesses. When a fellow believer is weighed down by temptation or spiritual failure, how will you help shoulder the load? Through prayer and encouragement, you can "carry each other's burdens and fulfill the law of Christ."

14)Forgive. And forget. Colossians 3:13 Easier said than done. Think of the person you feel has wronged you the most in your lifetime. Have you forgiven him or her as the Lord forgave you? Holding grudges only creates bitterness in our hearts and keep us from experiencing the freedom of forgiveness. It's not achieved with an add-water-and-mix formula, so ask the Lord to reveal whom He will help you forgive today. And let the healing begin.

Granted, there's no magic cure-all that will have us worshipping 365 days a year. No late-night infomercial with a 30-day success story can do it. Nor an inspirational speaker's set of 24 discs at the low, low price of $99.99.

But the Lord will help us if we seek Him. Consider each day your fresh start in honoring and serving the Lord with body, mind and soul. With our words and deeds -- with everything in our being -- we can choose to worship our heavenly Father with our lives.

Read this Article Here at Integrity Direct! Worship Leaders and Christians alike can find some awesome resources that will help them live a lifestyle of worship. Check them out! Its worth it!

As always readers, remember Jesus Loves you, and so do I!

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=DG