In my Worship Arts class we are reading, "You Are What You Love," by James K. A. Smith. In this book, Smith highlights what it means for us as humans to love things or people and how that affects our worship. I would strongly encourage this book to anyone who is wanting to know more about worship, or even just their heart relationship with God. In chapter three of this book, Smith specifically address what worship is, how are hearts are engaged in worship, and how worship is displayed in our daily lives and habits. This challenged me to reflect on my own life and the habits I have created, or wish to create, that advance my spiritual maturity. I have been a Chrsitian for the majority of my life, but it wasn't really until I was sixteen that I started to really intentionally walk with Chrsit and keep in step with the Holy Spirit. One thing that changed my attitude towards Jesus was immersing myself in worship music. Now, I'm not talking about the classic K-Love songs, which are good and speak about God's truths, but I'm referring to watching churches and people on Youtube completely surrendered in worship. Worship that is so genuinly from the heart and so sensitive to how the Spirit is moving that it creates a new and fresh longing for God's presence. Worship like Smith described on page 77, "Worship is the arena in which God recalivrates our hearts, reforms our desires, and rehabituates our loves. Worship isn't just something we do; it is where God does something to us." Surrounding myself with this worship as my sole intake of music for a year or two really helped me fall in love with Jesus more.
That, and being more intentional in my prayer life really sparked a spiritual revival in my heart. Writing my prayers down in journals began to feel like my letters to the Lord. Talking to God not just as the holy sovereign King he is, but also as the kind and tender Father he is really change how I approach and view him. I want this to keep happening. I want to learn more and more about God's character that how I picture him evolves adn gets closer and closer to his heart. The way I have been trying to do this and want to grow in is daily reading his Word. It has always been a habit that I struggle accomplishing. I try to start my mornings with Scripture but I'm always making excuses to do something else. This is a habit I want to dvelop because I know the importance of knowing Scripture and I have heard so many testimonies of people who have had complete heart transformations becuase of how they encounter God through his Word. I want my heart to be transformed to be more like Christ. Hopefully, through these spiritual habits, my heart will grow closer and closer in resemblance to Christ.
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