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Written by Carolina Pérez, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in New York

I was born and grew up in a Christian home watching my parents serve in different places in Ecuador. I remember when I was little that my family and I always arrived early to the congregation and my dad liked to sit in the very front. When we started the singing, he always told me and my sister, “Sing loud so they can hear you!” So, I had the idea that the louder I sang, the more God would hear me. Even today, I sing loudly, but my perspective about how He hears me has certainly changed.

I grew up with the idea that worshipping God was just on Sundays at church, singing, praying, and attending Sunday school classes, or when I got a little bigger, listening to a sermon. And maybe this is how you have understood it too (especially if you are a new convert or you are still learning). “We are going to worship the Lord!” It is a common expression in Sunday contexts and it’s true that when we gather and we are together as brothers and sisters, this is what we do, but worship goes much beyond there and implies so much more than two hours a week.

As the years have gone by, I understood that worship shouldn’t be part of my life, but rather that it must be my way of life. In other words, it should influence every area of my existence. Worship implies having a genuine fear of the Lord and obedience of His statutes. Not doing this leads me many times to not worship God with my decisions and my attitudes when faced with life situations. For example, in 2014, my husband, my son, and I moved to New York City. For me, it was a difficult decision because I was leaving behind my family, my friendships, the congregation where I had grown up, etc. More than once, I asked the Lord, why? It was far from my heart and mind to worship God for what was happening in that moment. To be honest, it was the last thing I was thinking about. But in 2017, after some painful but necessary events, the Heavenly Father allowed me to see, in an amazing way, that the best thing that could’ve happened to us as a family was to remove us from our comfort zone and our original plans. It was then that I began to truly worship God. I understood that what Romans 8:28 says is real and I experienced it in my life and in my family’s. That is why I worship and, even though I am far from perfect, and I have still not completely adapted to my new place of residence, today at least I see the circumstances from another point of view, and I thank the Father every day for the love and mercy He has shown us.

All of this makes me think of Mary’s story. This humble young woman was engaged to be married to Joseph. Just before the wedding, the angel Gabriel appeared to her and told her that she had been chosen by God to be the mother of His Son, Jesus. Mary didn’t understand what was happening, nor did she understand how she would become pregnant if she was a virgin. The angel explained that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and that she would conceive. He also told her that this baby would have a special purpose for all humanity. Of course, she was stunned and didn’t understand it all, yet she said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38), thus showing her heart as willing and trusting in God’s promises.

This declaration, made by this servant, was very important, not just because of the faith it demonstrated, but also seeing it in the light of the context in which it happened. What occurred was not easy and the circumstances made it even less so. Mary, engaged to be married, was to remain pure for her husband. Evidently, being pregnant before consummating the marriage implied a tremendous offense to the marriage, not to mention that it was a sin in the eyes of the community. In the Old Testament, we are told that a man or a woman who committed this offense was to be put to death, stoned (Deut. 22:23-24). In other words, the ending that Mary expected after the angel’s visit was not the beautiful celebration as she had originally planned, but rather her death. With this in mind, it is understandable that Mary would have been troubled, confused, and even a little scared. Yet, her worship of God did not cease. She accepted the Almighty’s will for her life in spite of the dire consequences of what was awaiting her. The original plans changed radically for her, but without doubting, she remained loyal to her Father. In fact, we can see in Luke 1:46-55 a beautiful song praise that she expressed when her cousin Elizabeth helped her process everything that was happening. She recognized the grace of the Lord poured out in her life and she worshipped.

I want us to understand that our body, soul, and spirit were designed to worship God. When we are conscious of this, we will seek to do His will in every scope of life and not just for two hours each Sunday. Everything that you are and that you do glorifies the Lord. When we understand this concept, our view of worship will surely change.

Below, I will give you a few examples which you could certainly add to as you continue reading the Bible. For example, we can worship when:

• We wait patiently and prayerfully for the man with whom you want to share your life.
• We fulfill our duties, lovingly taking care of our children and our home.
• You submit to your husband with love (Col. 3:18).
• We are integral in our workplace (Col. 3:23-24).
• We help our neighbor or our brother/sister who is in need (Matt. 25:31-46).
• We listen to and lovingly support people who are going through a difficult time.
• You use your talents to serve in the congregation.
• In middle of trials, you decide to trust that God is in control of everything.

As you can see, worship is broader and deeper than what we believed, right? Our worship should be 24/7 because this is how we reveal that we understand who God is and who we are. Are you ready to truly worship?

#IronRoseSister #HIStories #worship #wayoflife #guestwriter #blog

• HIStories

Co-authored by Michelle J. and Chrystal Goff, sisters by birth and Iron Rose Sisters in Arkansas

Luke 1:39-45 reveals the automatic reactions that Elizabeth, John the Baptist, and Mary had upon greeting each other. Their shouts of worship came as an overflow of the Spirit within them.

Elizabeth uttered an immediate exclamation of praise.
John the Baptist leapt from joy within his mother’s womb.
The expression of Mary’s soul was a song.

46 And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
(Luke 1:46-55)

When is the last time you have witnessed a spontaneous spirit of worship?

Sunday morning, a young voice was heard above everyone else’s. It was slightly off rhythm and minorly out of key, but no one cared. Anyone that turned around to find the unbridled source of praise was delighted to see that this young lady was worshipping with all her heart, soul, mind, and strength. Her voice announced as her soul proclaimed, “I am a chiiiiild ooof God, yes Iiiii ammmm!.” Her arms waved as she twirled. Her grands and parents to either side were not at all embarrassed by her worship, or this little ballerina using them as a landing for her pirouette. Her heart and soul and mind burst with love for her LORD! Nothing. Else. Mattered.
We were drawn to her spirit of worship and the joy she radiated. Her spirit inspired everyone around her to join her in worship.

I (Chrys) hum to the flowers and veggies in my garden rejoicing to the LORD for His provisions. I do not sing to the weeds, but they eavesdrop as I disentangle them from choking this season’s intended harvest. The plants that wither, or are overcome by insects are still something to praise God for. He gives and takes away but has promised to provide our daily bread, a promise and perspective I’m reminded to thank God for when I’m stifled by the pppppaaaaaiiiinnnfuuuullllllness of pruning.

Thankfully, God is the master gardener, He is meticulous and delicate as His fingers weave through our personalities and stubbornness and fear to clip what no longer or never served Him. I’ve found joy in discovering the healing powers and nutritional properties of plants. He created us to be His vessels; nurturing my vessel with His Word and His produce are one way I honor and worship Him. I love creating flavors and blending spices as a way of sharing what I’ve learned about my Creator in His creation.

Before I was careful to follow Christ closely, the songs that looped in my mind weren’t bringing glory to my Father. Sick beats with subliminal rhymes seeped into my brain, steeping. Only when I turned my eyes to YHWH did I learn to listen to the whisper, to the melodies of a breeze, to harmonize in my heart for The God who sees. My aspirations for worship are modeled after Mary’s Magnificat, if each day my praises freely sing, “My soul magnifies the Lord.”

Through her song, Mary’s Magnificat longed to magnify the Savior’s glory. She knew that it was all about Him and not her. Thankfulness and humility exuded from her tongue, a pronouncement of God’s faithfulness and mercy. She declared His eternal blessings, inviting others to remember His actions and promises.

May our lives be an act of worship today, magnifying the Lord that others may see Him and praise our Father who is in heaven.

How have you been inspired to worship?

How can you inspire others to worship, like Elizabeth, John the Baptist, Mary, or my sister?

#IronRoseSister #HIStories #Mary #worship #magnificat #magnifytheLord #spiritofworship #MichelleGoff #sistercoauthor #blog