When You Want to Smack a Joyful Person
Nine Keys to Understanding How Worship Leads to Joy
Have you ever wondered about some people who have so much joy, they exude it? Even when they are going through tough times—they may not be bubbly—but they still have an undercurrent of strength and joy?
And sometimes, have you—when you’re not exactly exuding this kind of joy—felt like smacking ‘em?
Most of us want joy and want to be close to God. Like babies who mimic their parents, we try to imitate “got-it-together” Christians.
But God has made each of us a unique package. We don’t have to be like everyone else. You know it, I know it, but we still feel like we don’t match up.
Yes, we may feel like we want to smack someone who is joyful and bubbly…but what if they are acting in the way God made them? And what if your worship style lies elsewhere?
I was in the Dominican Republic on a missions trip, and we would start the day “worshipping” by singing praises. I couldn’t help but notice someone I knew to be a stalwart Christian—and he was barely singing. That struck me as odd. But then…THEN, I witnessed his worship style in action later in the day while we were building chapels for people who couldn’t do it themselves.
He was beaming. And I knew he was worshipping in his own way.
It’s a relief to know you don’t have to be the same as they are—in their own particular way of worshipping God.
Galatians 6 says “Live creatively friends, Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your life.” (The Message)
Fact: Like your individual personality temperament, God also made you with your unique spiritual temperament.
As Fred Smith said in Leadership magazine, “it took me many years to finally come to what I believe to be a healthy menu uniquely fitted to my needs. We can’t all wear the same glasses, nor can we take the same medicine. Just so, we have different personality and character traits that need developing or dwarfing. That means we must find the spiritual feeding that is right for us.”
So what if there were different ways of worshipping God according to how He created us, bringing ourselves closer to Him and giving us more joy in the process?
Fitting into someone else’s box
For many years I felt like I really didn’t know how to worship God—in this case “worship” meaning connecting with God. There was a box—the right box. I felt I needed to fit into someone else’s box, the person who REALLY knew how to worship God.
I thought this specific, recognizable box was the way to do it, and nothing else “counted.” But these restrictive, inferior feelings were really cramping my joy!
I started reading Sacred Pathways by Gary Thomas. It talked about worshipping God, communing with him outside of the box. This was a new thought for me.
I began a new journey by asking myself, “when do I feel closest to God?” and “when do I experience the most joy?”
I experienced two huge lightbulb moments:
Things outside the box “count”: For me, it was seeing God in nature, and thanking Him for it: Mountains, sunset, broken shells. This acknowledgment and gratitude “counted” as worship!
God didn’t make me a serious person. But as a happy-go-lucky young adult, I felt I needed to “grow up.” Because of that, I was denying myself the very things I needed to draw close to God and were filling me with joy! Like…
going outside in nature to work or to take breaks
communicating with God in little simple sentence prayers
This was taken from my journal during this time: “God, I know it’s been a long while. I remember I was somewhere around 10 when I chided myself for talking to You all day about –“nothing.” Even at 10, I remember thinking I was going nuts, saying stupid little prayers to You all day long. So, in the name of “growing up”, I put a cork in the way which is natural for me to communicate with You. Wow. And I didn’t even realize it! I thought I had to sound like everyone else! I knew that God would hear our prayers, no matter our style. I knew it, I believed it – in my head. But I didn’t understand it in my heart, until now. Thank you, Lord.”
Fact: God wants your worship; according to the way he made you.
This is not to say we ignore our of time drawing nearer to God by reading our Bibles, or by going off willy-nilly ignoring the fellowship of a church. Those are essential to the Christian life.
Now…what does your path look like?
If you haven’t already discovered your own special pathway to worship and joy, you have something potentially life changing just waiting to be realized! How absolutely exciting!
Let’s look together into some creative ideas to expand on your worship experience.
Remember my earlier question?
So what if there were different ways of worshipping God according to how He created us, bringing ourselves closer to Him and giving us more joy in the process?
Sacred Pathways suggests nine sacred pathways to connect with God. This is about NOT fitting into someone else’s box. It’s quite the opposite. Read on and tell me if any of these ring true for you…
Naturalists: Loving God Out of Doors
Sensates: Loving God with the Senses
Traditionalists: Loving God Through Ritual and Symbol
Ascetics: Loving God in Solitude and Simplicity
Activists: Loving God through Confrontation
Caregivers: Loving God by Loving Others
Enthusiasts: Loving God with Mystery and Celebration
Contemplatives: Loving God Through Adoration
Intellectuals: Loving God with the Mind
Of course, these titles are just to whet your whistle into exploring this more. I would highly recommended purchasing this book for a more thorough explanation:
https://tinyurl.com/y4p9al6p
My prayer is that this will open up your world into how God has made you for worship, filling you with joy as you travel in this new journey.
No smacking required.
Question:
Of the nine spiritual pathways listed above, which sounds like it could be you?