I CANNOT TAKE WHAT IS YOURS

Today's reading: 1 Chronicles 20-24

"But the king replied to Araunah, No, I insist on paying what it is worth. I cannot take what is yours and give it to the Lord. I will not offer a burnt offering that has cost me nothing." 1 Chronicles 21:24 NLT

As I lay out church clothes, fine tune notes for tomorrow's Sunday School lesson and make sure I have our check written out for tithes, I think about these words.

Tomorrow is more than Sunday.

It's a day of worship.

And worship, done right, costs us.

Worship costs us some time. Giving up something in order to gather with other believers to lift up God's name.

Worship demands some effort on our part. While we can praise the Lord anywhere, and should, corporate worship requires that we gather. That we plan. That we have an order of events so that our time together is useful, impactful and not chaotic.

Worship requires our attention. True worship is not an addition to a service or a life. Worship is intentional. Worship is something that needs to be scheduled into every day of our lives. Worship needs a specific time and place in our lives.

Worship requires that we combine our gifts, talents and abilities. I can't do the preacher's job. No one wants me to lead the singing. I can change a diaper. I can clean a toilet. I can participate, in my God given abilities, with all my heart. If I do my part and you do your part, it all gets done for God's glory!

So I'm thinking today about whether or not my worship is costing me anything...