Body Image
The past week started off rough for me. You see everyone has demons that they battle, and not necessarily physical ones either like alcohol or drugs, but things like anxiety, self-worth, worry, and comparison. These things I believe can be just as detrimental to a person if they let them come in and set up camp. No matter your level of faith, if your eyes are not fixed on Jesus, the enemy will quickly use every tactic he can to keep you from re-fixing your gaze on what matters most. That being said, I was right where he wanted me and fall deeper and deeper down. Thankfully, I am blessed with a husband who is in tune with my "attitude" and knows when something is bothering me. I have a tendency to shut down to prevent people from knowing something is wrong. Fortunately, hubby knows me well and when I was finally able to admit I was struggling, he started reminding me where my gaze needed to be. So by yesterday evening, I was feeling "my strength" come back.
Then the little sis and I did a thing. We went to the Live Original Tour to get our worship on and listen to a message given by none other than "the" Sadie Robertson. Talk about an experience! I had the most enjoyable time that I've had in a long time. And to think, I wasn't going to go because I thought I was too old and was dreading the drive after a week of work. The enemy has a way of attacking you in the most subtle ways and trying to keep you from experiencing the joy of the Lord. I am so glad I didn't listen because I was completely "revived" last night.
Never, and I don't use that word lightly, never have I felt like that before. We sang, we danced, we praised, we listened, we WORSHIPED! Besides my sister, I didn't know anyone that was sitting next to me, but in that room, at that time, I felt like they were my family. I felt like we were brothers and sisters and I realized today, thinking about the experience that we were. We were brothers and sisters of the Body and we all came together to praise the one and only Almighty God.
She had a great message and it really got me thinking about the way I need to and the rest of us should approach worship on a daily basis. I started thinking about how I felt last night, and it was a feeling that I wanted to experience over and over again. Its a feeling that I think we should get every time the "Church" gets together. Now, most of my life I have experienced "traditional worship" where we sing a few hymns; we stand up for a few, sit down for a few, then move into listening mode as the preacher takes over to preach a sermon. It's what I have known for my whole life.
But I couldn't help but wonder and think that it's time for all of us to reevaluate our "Body Image".
The Bible tells us that "we are the body of Christ and each one of us is a part of it." (1 Cor. 12:27).
So the Church and all in it make up the body of Christ. But here is where I think we get it wrong sometimes. We get so caught up in the "church building" that we forget that is not what the Church means at all. We get so concerned with what our "body image" looks like to the rest of the world that we have created all these rules that must be followed because we want to be the one who is right and we want to look good, that we lose the true act of worship.
After last night, I feel that I have been like the Pharisees when Jesus said:
"These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules." (Matthew 15:8-9)
I have been going through the motions week after week, feeling more alive when I sing in my car to my favorite worship song, because at that time, no one is around and I feel like I can be open and honest about who I am and free from fear of stepping out and being different because it doesn't fit into the box of rules that have been created.
So I made a decision. I will strive to truly worship every moment I can. I will strive to be different and I will strive to keep my heart completely committed. I will strive to help reshape the way we see the "body" and I will strive to encourage others to do the same. I will strive to stay on fire for the Lord and share my experiences with honesty to remind everyone they are not alone.
With love,
Tori
Then the little sis and I did a thing. We went to the Live Original Tour to get our worship on and listen to a message given by none other than "the" Sadie Robertson. Talk about an experience! I had the most enjoyable time that I've had in a long time. And to think, I wasn't going to go because I thought I was too old and was dreading the drive after a week of work. The enemy has a way of attacking you in the most subtle ways and trying to keep you from experiencing the joy of the Lord. I am so glad I didn't listen because I was completely "revived" last night.
Never, and I don't use that word lightly, never have I felt like that before. We sang, we danced, we praised, we listened, we WORSHIPED! Besides my sister, I didn't know anyone that was sitting next to me, but in that room, at that time, I felt like they were my family. I felt like we were brothers and sisters and I realized today, thinking about the experience that we were. We were brothers and sisters of the Body and we all came together to praise the one and only Almighty God.
She had a great message and it really got me thinking about the way I need to and the rest of us should approach worship on a daily basis. I started thinking about how I felt last night, and it was a feeling that I wanted to experience over and over again. Its a feeling that I think we should get every time the "Church" gets together. Now, most of my life I have experienced "traditional worship" where we sing a few hymns; we stand up for a few, sit down for a few, then move into listening mode as the preacher takes over to preach a sermon. It's what I have known for my whole life.
But I couldn't help but wonder and think that it's time for all of us to reevaluate our "Body Image".
The Bible tells us that "we are the body of Christ and each one of us is a part of it." (1 Cor. 12:27).
So the Church and all in it make up the body of Christ. But here is where I think we get it wrong sometimes. We get so caught up in the "church building" that we forget that is not what the Church means at all. We get so concerned with what our "body image" looks like to the rest of the world that we have created all these rules that must be followed because we want to be the one who is right and we want to look good, that we lose the true act of worship.
"These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules." (Matthew 15:8-9)
I have been going through the motions week after week, feeling more alive when I sing in my car to my favorite worship song, because at that time, no one is around and I feel like I can be open and honest about who I am and free from fear of stepping out and being different because it doesn't fit into the box of rules that have been created.
So I made a decision. I will strive to truly worship every moment I can. I will strive to be different and I will strive to keep my heart completely committed. I will strive to help reshape the way we see the "body" and I will strive to encourage others to do the same. I will strive to stay on fire for the Lord and share my experiences with honesty to remind everyone they are not alone.
With love,
Tori
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