S4 E18 - Why Did I Do That?

We are creatures of habit aren't we? I found myself mindlessly doing a few things this week that made no sense - but I did them anyways simply because I was in the habit of doing them. It was monotonous - harmless, but clearly old habits die hard. 

Well, while these are harmless - if our worship becomes so routine that it is mindless and monotonous - that is dangerous. We must not only be engaged in worship, but have a mind, heart, and will that is equally engaged in worship as well. 

#SetYourMindAbovePodcast

Transcript

What if I told you that God could be seen in the most ordinary things every day? 

What if I told you that every day, ordinary events could teach us extraordinary eternal truths? Would you believe me? 

 Welcome back to season 4 of the Set Your Mind Above Podcast! My name is BJ Sipe, and I am a Christian, a preacher, a husband, and a father. And I’m excited to share a few moments together with you learning some important lessons from the simplest things. Thanks for tuning in! 

We are creatures of habit, aren’t we? All of us, without exception, form different regular routines in our lives that become monotonous – we do them without even thinking. In fact, they become such a regular part of our lives that breaking routine is almost impossible. I had two things happen back-to-back this week over here at the coffee shop in Danville that brought this out in my life. This first instance had to do with dishes. For the past several years, when you were finished with your mug or your plate, you simply placed them on the coffee bar by the barista station and they would take it from there. This was my habit, and the habit of all regulars to walk over and place your mug on the counter while you said your goodbyes to the staff for the day before you left. Well, over last weekend Dry Stack introduced a new bussing station along the wall in the middle of the coffee shop. So now, instead of placing your dishes on the counter, you go and place them in the bin of the bussing station. As you can imagine, it’s taking a little time to catch on. Regulars, including myself, find ourselves mindlessly still walking over and starting to set our mugs on the counter until we realize what we’re doing and have a good laugh about it. The staff has even gone as far as to set up little reminders on each table for customers to kindly utilize the new bussing station. It will catch on in time, but as the expression goes, old habits die hard. 

So, in a moment of dramatic irony, I put my mug yesterday into the bin at the bussing station and started to walk out the back towards my car very proud of myself for remembering not to just set my cup on the counter. I walked out the back door and into the parking lot and started to look around…um, where was my car? I always park in the back and come into the coffee shop through the back door because there is more parking readily available than having to parallel park on main street. However, yesterday morning all of the parking spots were taken in the back, so I did have to park out front. I had completely forgotten about this, and when it was time to leave just mindlessly made my way out the back door like I always do in the exact opposite direction of my vehicle. Now laughing at myself, I turned around and made the walk of shame all the way back through the coffee shop after having already said my goodbyes and awkwardly walked back out the front door towards where I parked my car. Did I happen to mention that old habits die hard? 

Now, there is nothing wrong with being creatures of habit – all of us are in some ways.  There are even some very good habits that we can form in our lives even if they become monotonous – such as brushing your teeth, or putting on your seatbelt, etc. But there is an area of our lives where being creatures of habit and going through the motions mindlessly can be very dangerous – and this of course is in our worship to God. Worship is something that involves much repetition of the worshiper. On a daily basis, we are engaged in prayer towards our Creator. On a daily or regular basis, we are engaged in song and praise towards God. On a weekly basis, we are gathered together with other believers as the church and participate in communion, giving of our means, and reflecting on the truths of God’s Word. The problem is that we can participate in these actions so frequently that before too long, we can forget why it is that we are doing these things regularly in the first place. 

Jesus would teach to a Samaritan woman with questions pertaining to worship the following in John 4:23-24, “But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and in truth.” True worship to God is not monotonous – it engages the mind, the will, and the heart. God desires our worship, but he does not desire empty and mindless worship that is devoid of a heart that is truly given over to him. This was part of the fault that Christ found with many in the sect of the Pharisees. He would say of them in Matthew 15:7-9, “Hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you when he said: This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. They worship me in vain…” They were engaged in worship to God, but their hearts and their minds were not. Such worship is not true worship and is practiced in vain. 

We must never separate the why from the what in our worship. The entire book of Hosea can be summarized in the following plea from the Lord through the prophet to his people in chapter 6:4 & 6, “What am I going to do with you, Ephraim? What am I going to do with you, Judah? Your love is like the morning mist and like the early dew that vanishes . . . For I desire faithful love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” My friends, do not misunderstand the words from the Lord through his prophet Hosea. He did desire sacrifice and burnt offerings…but ones that were offered unto him from a heart of love and gratitude. Ones that were offered up from a worshiper whose mind and will were engaged in complete and total devotion unto the Lord. 

So what about us? Take a moment to reflect on your life and your worship to God. Are you regularly engaged in the habit of prayer? That is a good thing…but where is your heart? Do you simply go through the motions and offer up mindless prayers? Or are you truly in humility coming before the throne of God and pouring out your heart? Are you regularly engaged in songs of praise? That is a good thing…but where is your heart? Do you simply sing the words without giving much thought to the words you’re even saying and promising? Or are you truly from a heart overflowing with joy and gratitude giving God glory for who he is and what he has done in your life? Do you sit around a table with the church and partake of the Lord’s Supper when you come together? That is a good thing…but where is your heart? Do you simply partake of each emblem and sit quietly while pondering other aspects of your life? Or does your mind go back to the cross, and is your heart stirred by the thought of the depth and the richness of Christ’s loving sacrifice for you? 

My friends, the Father is seeking true worshipers. Worshipers that offer not only their prayers, but their hearts. Worshipers that offer not only their songs, but their minds. Nothing about our relationship with God should be monotonous. Just as his mercies are new every day, so each day we should offer up our everything to him in return. Come, let us strive to truly know the Lord. 

This has been the Set Your Mind Above Podcast, season 4 episode 18 – and I’m so thankful that you decided to tune in today! A new episode is dropped most Fridays, so be sure to tune in next week.  Also, if you’re able to, go ahead and like and subscribe to the podcast, as well as share it with someone else – it would help me greatly in trying to reach others. And more than anything, always remember the following: know that I love you, that God loves you, and may we all each and every day set our minds above.