Last week, I enjoyed attending a workshop with my wife at the Cove, a Billy Graham Evangelistic Association training center in the mountains.  We joined Jonathan Falwell in studying the book of Philippians.  It was a profitable time in God’s word, along with times of worship that were blessed.

It was during one of these worship times, as we sung “Waymaker” by Michael W. Smith, that something began to niggle at the edges of my mind.  The chorus is a wonderful, worshipful series of phrases describing the Lord.  “Waymaker, Miracle worker, Promise keeper, Light in the darkness, that is who you are!”  I particularly enjoy times of worship nowadays, and this was no exception.

What began to dawn on me was something with which I am very familiar, but had never encountered during praise times.  We were singing wonderful truths about our amazing Lord.  But they are also supposed to be true of us!  Because we carry the Good News, we can show people the Way that God made.  God has chosen to work many miracles, but (other than creation itself) He has chosen to involve humans as part of carrying out every single one.  Promise-keeping is what God has called us to do because He has granted us and faithfully kept many promises.  We are described by Jesus as light in a dark place.  Each of these things we claim God to be, we are also called to be.  He wants us to be like Him, to show His love in tangible ways in this often-loveless world.

The danger is that we can be so focused on our Lord having those characteristics that we miss our part of the ministry.  In other words, we can find ourselves in church on Sunday, singing, praising, listening to God’s word, and then think somehow that we’re done.  God does all those good things, and we are happy and thankful!  We can just sit back and enjoy them, right?  Nope.  That’s not what God expects from us.  In Acts 1:11, the angels ask a pointed question of the disciples that still holds true today.  “… why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back…”  Jesus doesn’t want us just looking up and pining for his return (although I’m mightily tempted to do so lately more than ever)!

He wants worship and obedience.  The obedience part is harder.  It means we have to do what the Lord commands rather than what we prefer.  That means pointing the Way clearly and lovingly.  It means being in tune with the Spirit so we take part in His miraculous work.  It means being people of our word, keeping promises no matter what the cost.  It means letting our light shine (by doing good works) because this world is a dark place.  The part I like the best about this is that God is the one at work in all of it!!

So, I will sing praises and worship the Lord with gladness!  But I will also rejoice and obey in love (for both Him and those I serve) as I continue the work He has called each of us to do, for it is the rest of our worship and service to our Heavenly Father.  May God bless us all as we do.