Drip

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)

The proper understanding of everything in life begins with God. No one will ever understand the necessity of a relationship with God who does not know why He created me. He created me “in His image” so that I would image forth His glory in the world. I was made, we all were made to be prisms refracting the light of God’s glory into all of life. Why God should want to give me a share in shining with His glory is a great mystery. Call it grace or mercy or love—it is an unspeakable wonder.

Once we did not exist.

Then we existed—for the glory of God!

Therefore, the reason I was created is to live for the glory of God.

God’s pursuit of praise from me and my pursuit of pleasure in Him are one and the same pursuit. God’s quest to be glorified and my quest to be satisfied reach their goal in this one experience: my delight in God, which overflows in praise. For God, praise is the sweet echo of His own excellence in the hearts of His people. For me, praise is the summit of satisfaction that comes from living in intimacy with God. The stunning implication of this discovery is that all the omnipotent energy that drives the heart of God to pursue His own glory also drives Him to satisfy the hearts of those who seek their joy in Him.

“Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory.” Isaiah 43:6–7)

The fact of the matter is worship is a lifestyle it is not merely an action. When someone operates within a “lifestyle” they are so passionate about what they believe that it labels them, it marks them. When I mention labels like hippie, fitness junkie, skater, biker, sports fanatic, workaholic, or political activist someone I know who falls under that label immediately comes to my mind. For instance when I say, worshipper, I immediately think of two people, first my Dad, James Heard, and second my Pastor, Gio Munoz. Their lives drip all over the place in this space. What do I mean by drip? Have you ever soaked a sponge in a bucket of water and then taken the sponge out of the bucket? It does not matter where you go with that sponge it drips the contents of what it has been soaking in everywhere and on everything. Their dripping is not something you can stop their sponge or spirit is so full of God's Presence that they have been soaking in it just drips out all over the place. When they get near you, you can feel God's presence because it drips all over you. But see it's not good enough for me to be dripped on by someone else who has been soaking in God’s presence because I was also created to carry that label. Every Man, Woman, Boy, and Girl that has ever lived has been created with the utmost desire to soak like a sponge in His Glory so much that it marks us so that we drip of Him in every circumstance of our lives.

Jesus understood the importance of worship and its vital role in all areas of His life. Jesus himself lived that lifestyle. Jesus dripped the glory of God.

In Matthew 26:30 says “...and when they had sung a hymn they went out into the Mount of Olives”

Matthew 26 Jesus was preparing his closest followers for His crucifixion sharing in Passover Supper with them before preceding to the Mount of Olives. The place where He faced His fears and conquered them. The place where the flesh did not want to endure the pain and death He knew was coming. But Yet He submitted His will to the Father saying, “Thy will be done.” I soon realized that this Hymn in verse 30 was much more than just a somber hymn or a funeral dirge on the way to Jesus' death. In fact Quite the contrary.

The word “Hymn” in this verse originates from the Greek word “Hymneo” – which refers to the singing of a specific type of “hymn” taken directly from Psalms 113-118 and Psalms 136. These are known as “The Songs of Ascent”, which the Jews also refer to as “The great Hallal” This group of Hymns Jesus chose is based on a form of worship in the Hebrew language that refers to raucous, clamorous praise, celebrating God in all His greatness. So on His way to death, Jesus got into crazy, Hallelujah worship.

Jesus demonstrated that, in times of great trial, turmoil, pain, fear, and even death, He was going to worship. Not with just a whimper as he struggled through his pain, but instead really, vitally, passionately worship, with all His being and all His might. Why? Because worship to His Father was His lifestyle. It was second nature to Him. Jesus knew that spirit and truth worship is the most powerful faith builder. As we sing the words of the Word, as we abandon ourselves to Him and give Him our Yes our worship facilitates a connection that reminds us of who we are because of who He is, and even though my heart and flesh may falter my spirit is able to say “Thy will be done.”

Worship was the initial act of laying down His life, even before He laid it down on the cross. He laid himself down in worship, first, before the Lord. It cost him everything, and yet He understood something so many of us wrestle with. Worship is about God, not about us, and When I develop a lifestyle of worship it becomes the natural outflow of my spirit in all seasons. It labels me, and marks me so as I move through life I drip His Glory everywhere and on everything because I have learned that I was created for His Glory.

This is how Jesus affected and changed the region He was in. Jesus dripped God's glory everywhere. When I drip His glory it gets on those around me and they feel and see the difference so much that family, friends, and coworkers begin to wonder and question, “Why is Andrew so different?” When they come to me I am then able to share with them why I drip, it’s from living a lifestyle of worship, it’s giving Him my Yes in all things. Let my prayer today and every day be, Jesus fill me with so much of you that no matter what I do I drip Your glory everywhere.