Grove City College is a great place. There are so many things that I will be incredibly sad to leave when I graduate. One thing that is near the top of my list is our times of worship on campus. There's worship before chapel on Tuesdays and Thursdays, along with special events such as All-Campus Worship. Then there is everyone's favorite weekly worship, Warriors, on Thursday nights. This summer while I was living in Bolivia, these were some of the things that I thought about regularly and could not wait to be at once again. There is something so special about a gathering of hundreds of college students who have taken time out of their studies or being with friends to come together and worship. Since this is something that is such a regular part of my life, I have taken some time to think about it, and recently I have been paying attention to some things that I previously didn't notice. I've gotten to this point where most of the songs that are sung during worship times are songs that I know by heart. I hardly ever need to actually look at the words. This can be a great thing especially when some six foot two basketball player decides to stand in front of you, but it is also a really bad thing.
When we know the words to something so well that we don't have to think about it, we do exactly that, we don't think about it. There is so much power and truth filled in every line of most worship songs, but often times I, and I'm sure many of you, don't truly think about what we're singing. Last week during Warriors, one of the songs was "Christ is Enough." Halfway through the song, I stopped singing and simply listened to the multitude of voices surrounding me. It honestly took my breath away, and then I began to process the lyrics. One of the main lines goes, "Christ is enough for me. Everything I need is in you." What a great line. A great line that is filled with so much truth, but is it truth when it comes out of my mouth?
There were hundreds singing that Christ is enough for every aspect of their lives along with me that night, but how many of us were simultaneously struggling with this very concept. My time at college has been filled with insecurities and feelings of inadequacy about my grades, relationship status, self-esteem, body, personality, and so much more. Many of which all stem back to my heart not fully believing that Christ is enough. I'm obviously not saying that everyone mindlessly sings worship songs, but if I occasionally notice myself doing it, I'm sure there are others who do the same.
Since making this realization, I've been trying to really focus while I'm worshiping or even just listening to music while getting ready for my day or while driving. Taking the time to think about what I'm singing. To really praise God with all my heart because these words are not just the lyrics I memorized in middle school, but, oftentimes, the cry of my heart. Next time you're praising God through worship, stop and think about the words. Think about them and instead of just repeating them back, make them true words of prayer and praise. When you sing "Christ is enough for me" or "In Christ alone, my hope is found" or "You are the Prince of Peace, and I will live my life for you" or any other lyric, don't just say them, but sing them knowing in your heart that you are singing it as truth over your life.
