Shock and Awe

Remember the campaign the military used during the beginning of the last war in Iraq? It's purpose was to be so terrible and complete that the enemy would be in shock and awe and be more inclined to surrender peacefully when faced with the potential desctructive force of the US military. Seemed to do a pretty good job at the time, too. We took Baghdad in record time and overthrew a tyrant. What happened after the "shock and awe" burned off, though? Those inclined to cause trouble got over the wonder and awe of the display of force and returned to their normal way of life, which in turn sent chaos and panic and pain across that nation as well as its affect on our own. What, you ask, does this have to do with worship? Glad you asked.

Let’s start the discussion by remembering. Do you remember the last time you came face to face with God, not in a casual, “Hey, it’s nice to see you” kind of way, but more of a “knock you on the seat of your pants, blow your mind” kind of way? Did you find yourself marveling in wonder and awe at the God Who had moved in such a powerful way? Out of that sense of wonder, something in you changed. At least for that moment, you existed in pure worship, giving God glory. Your thoughts changed, your actions changed, your mind changed. You had to go tell someone, you couldn’t keep it bottled up inside. And, if you’re honest, if you look back you can see how what you did during that time was different. You acted with joy and peace in your heart because God had become very real and very personal with you. What happened when that moment wore off, when things “got back to normal?” When what happened became more memory than existence? Does God seem as real now? Do you think of Him and His desire for your life as much as you did before?

We live in an age when we are bombarded by the “wonderful” and “incredible” every day. Technological advancements promise us bright, healthy futures and easier lives. Movies have developed to the point of being able to make fantasy look real. Commercials entice us at every turn with offers that, should we take them, promise the world. Reality, however, gives a different picture. Poverty and sickness run rampant around the globe. Personal debt runs at an all-time high. More people are on medication for stress and psychological issues now than ever before. Enough to make the best of us doubt the truth of the promises from media, government and technology we see around us. It becomes easy to be focused on ourselves and what will happen to us – we’re constantly blasted by information coming in from every angle, most either declaring that the world we’re comfortable with (as we know it) is all about to come crashing down around us or carrying the reports of the actions of evil people in our neighborhoods and around the world. Cynicism and sarcasm run rampant, shaping how we view the world and everything around us. Not much really causes us to stop all activity and sit in true awe any more, does it?

How often do we treat our Christian lives that way, living day to day trying to figure out how we’re going to make it, often never giving God another thought? At the same time, in the middle of all the hustle, isn’t there a voice in our heads crying out that life with God should be different than this, a longing to see God work in miraculous ways and to experience Him in deeper and more fulfilling ways?

Question. How often do you find yourself in awe of God? When was the last time you stopped in simple wonder of Who He is? Do you find yourself desperately seeking to spend as much time with Him as you possibly can, desiring to know Him more fully, more deeply than you did the day before? Or, are you satisfied with where you are and have no desire to move forward in your relationship with God? This is where we have to start, with an honest and truthful examination of our motives for living, of where we find our direction and purpose, of whether or not we spend the time necessary to see and be exposed to the wonder of God. Controlled by a passion to know Him – personally, experientially, powerfully – not just content to know about Him. Driven by personal experience of what it means to be in His presence, to hear His voice, to feel His leading and to see Him working. Do we serve Him with every part of our being or do we follow the popular slogans of the day and say the pithy statements about Him that make everyone around us think we are in better shape than we are spiritually? In other words, we actually DO what Jesus would do, not just wear the bracelet. Do we have daily times of private, personal worship, where we find ourselves alone with God, willing to give up whatever it takes to ensure we have those times of worship?

Dr. David Jeremiah wrote a book called My Heart’s Desire: Living every moment in the wonder of worship. In it he speaks of the rewards we gain by living, as he calls it, in the “wonder of worship.” Things like joy, deep, fulfilling joy. The kind that lasts because it’s based on Someone Who lasts, not on our circumstances or our own personal merits. How about being more devoted to God, more deeply connected to Him, your family and friends, and your purpose for living. How about finding yourself more driven to be accomplishing what you’ve been called to do, whether at work, at home, or in ministry? Or, how about finding your faith not just becoming alive and powerful, but staying that way, day after day, as you experience God and all His fullness?

Where do we start? Honestly, with confession and repentance. With an acknowledgement that we are not there, perhaps have not been there for a long time, but that we want to be there and are willing to surrender anything and everything necessary to get there. Until we are able to approach God with complete humility, to be able to say as David did, “Who am I that you would even care the littlest bit for me? I’m nothing. You are everything, and You are everything I need. I want to know You, to live in wonder and awe of Who You are, and am willing to do whatever it takes, to make whatever sacrifices it requires, for me to live this life.” In acknowledging our failure to live every moment in wonder we elevate God to the position He desires to have in our lives, that of being Primary and first. It’s then that He is able to reveal more of Himself, leaving us in wonder and awe, our capacity to worship Him having been expanded.

This is the journey I find myself on. I invite you to join me. The destination? Living every moment in the wonder of worship. Living a life that experiences God the way He desires me to experience Him, being changed by Him, and then changing the world around me because of Him. A life in which the shock and awe never wear off, because we live each day in the wonder of our Creator, our Savior, our King.