FOPx has been a thing ever since it was launched last year. I had the honour and privilege to serve God in front of a thousand plus youths at The Star. It was an incredible experience. This year is no different. I’ll be on the worship team, serving for praise and worship nights and probably for the actual conference. In fact i might start to lead more.
To be very honest, after being exposed to such opportunities, i found myself dealing with pride. The desire to take God’s glory for myself. The anxiety of not ‘leading well’. The insecurity of my vulnerability.
Recently we had our first rehearsal for our praise & worship night and we started the rehearsal by first worshiping together. We were singing Alabaster Jar as you may have guessed. God began to speak to me.
At that moment I got asked a familiar question. Its the question that i used to ask myself a whole lot more often: “What happens if all this is stripped away from me? If i couldn’t sing, or was given huge opportunities like this. If i wasn’t talented or well liked. What will my worship look like?”
Why do Christians get offended when God takes away something we hold so dearly. Think of the things that make you feel validated. Yeah those.
It’s almost like we worship God for those things. Even ‘good’, ‘spiritual’ things like the anointing or the skill or wisdom to do ministry. And when God takes them away, we get offended as if God owed us those things because we gave our lives to worship Him.
I realize that i need to be in constant reminder of what Jesus has done on the cross for me. Why we’re thankful is because we know that this is all we need. He is all that we need. It’s beyond what we could ask.
Looking to Jesus on the cross brings overwhelming gratitude to your heart. I’m not talking about the inspirational quotes printed over a pretty background saying “be thankful today” on social media. I’m talking about knowing exactly what Jesus did for you on Calvary and having the revelation that nothing else compares, and nothing else matters. That Father God has given His all for us, and we should hold nothing back.
Psalm 100:4, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name.”
The message version says, “ Enter with the password: “Thank you! Make yourselves at home, talking praise. Thank Him. Worship Him.”
The only way to the Father is through the gate, the only way to enter the gate is by thankfulness. If i am settled on the revelation that He is more than enough for me, I am ready to lose all to gain Christ.
“God, for you i willingly, unconditionally break my alabaster jar. You are worthy of my deepest worship and of my highest praise. I worship You because i want to, because You love me and You’ve have done more than enough for my life. More than i could ever ask. Take whatever You want from my life as You’ve so freely given.
For from You are all things, to You are all things.
So day and night, night and day, let incense arise.”