"Have Thine Own Way"

Today was a good day.

There's something about Sundays that make me feel refreshed and drained all at the same time. It's hard to explain. I pour myself out in preaching the word, but I seem to fill up more on the wonderful truths of who I am in Christ all at the same time. I have this intriguing way of pondering the full weight of a text I've spent the week studying while I'm preaching it. God's word is amazing in that regard.

I've gone through phases in my life where worship had to be done in a certain way for me to be fulfilled. Usually it had something to do with what songs were sung. It's the wrong way to approach worship. Worship is not simply about what we do but why we're doing it and for Whom we're doing it, too. Thankfully, I've grown beyond that juvenile way of approaching worship ... for good, I hope.

I cannot remember a period of worship in the recent past that wasn't refreshing and stimulating to my faith. There's seldom an occasion (if ever...I can't really remember any) in which a song doesn't adequately express my praise to God or encourage me in my devotion to Him.

What's important about this is we're not singing new songs I've never heard before or never thought about their meanings. Most of the songs are quite old. Many of them I've sung nearly all my life. Those old dudes (and dudettes) actually wrote some beautiful pieces of poetry that are able to stir us up to love and good deeds.

Today's hymn was "Have Thine Own Way." That's what I really want in life ... until my way seems more logical or beneficial. Surrending to the will of the Potter in all things, in every part of my life, is a constant struggle I have. The more I see in His word how He wants to shape me the more I realize I'm an unfinished product. So when we sing this song it moves me to want to surrender more and more to His will in my life. It's not sentimentality; it's stirring up by way of reminder.

It's not about the age of the song, and many times it's not even about the theme of the song. It's about the words and about my heart. I like the challege of being able to worship the Lord--meaning what I'm singing or saying--even if the same words have crossed my lips a hundred times before. "Have Thine Own Way" is never get old to me.

Today was a good day.