Listening to His Voice

A few days ago I read a line from a song that a friend had tweeted. The lyrics were so powerful that I looked up the entire song and it was honestly a transforming moment. It doesn't happen very often, but these lyrics have messed me up... in a good way. Messed up my former ways of thinking and replaced them with these bold words. These words are real. honest. and so.very.true. They are convicting and humbling and God has used this beautiful outpouring to inspire a transformation in my heart. The song is Clear the Stage by Jimmy Needham, I just want to play it on repeat. This songs expresses the desire of my heart, yet that desire rarely becomes action. Today I was deeply saddened as I thought about all the time that I have wasted with my face in technology: Youtube videos, Facebook, iPhone apps, the list continues... Hours a day literally wasted on things that have little to no value. A little is okay, I mean I make a lot of plans with friends and my youth girls through these means and I'm not here to pretend like I'm never going to use my phone again, but for the most part I just waste loads of time. The sad part though, when I compare all that wasted time to how much time I spend with Jesus, in particular sitting and listening to Him. I proclaim I love God with all my heart, I sing about wanting to honour Him with my life and I say that He is my all - yet I can't remember the last time I just sat and listened. 

Lent begins on Wednesday. It has only been in the last few years that I have observed Lent. It bothers me that people "give things up" just for the heck of it. If I am 'participating' in Lent, I want it to be intentional and purposeful in growing in my relationship with God. I actually wasn't going to observe lent this year, well until I came across this song then I knew right away what I needed to do. During the Lenten season this year I am not just 'giving up,' but also making room for something else... time with Jesus, specifically time to listen to Jesus. For 40 days and hopefully longer I won't watch any Youtube videos and the time that I usually spend on Youtube (averaging an hour a day) I want to be intentional with spending time with Jesus. Every night I watch Youtube videos right before bed, I want that time to be spent with Jesus instead. One of my biggest fears is that I will look back and regret wasting so much time on useless and purposeless things. If I say I love Jesus as much as I do, then I want that to be evident, I want that to be lived out, I want it to be actions and not just words. May my worship be more than just a song.

That is my heart. It excites me to take this step, I mean let's be honest nothing bad is going to come from spending more time with Jesus. I'm looking forward to growing and hearing from my Saviour. 

Read these lyrics, but I warn you, God may use them to convict you and change your heart.

Clear the stage and set the sound and lights ablaze

If that's the measure you must take to crush the idols

Jerk the pews & all the decorations, too 

Until the congregations few, then have revival


Tell your friends that this is where the party ends 

Until you're broken for your sins, you can't be social

Then seek the Lord & wait for what He has in store 

And know that great is your reward so just be hopeful



'Cause you can sing all you want to

Yes, you can sing all you want to

You can sing all you want to

And still get it wrong; 
Oh, worship is more than a song



Take a break from all the plans that you have made 

And sit at home alone and wait for God to whisper

Beg Him please to open up His mouth and speak 

And pray for real upon your knees until they blister


Shine the light on every corner of your life 

Until the pride and lust and lies are in the open

Then read the Word and put to test the things you've heard 

Until your heart and soul are stirred and rocked and broken


'Cause you can sing all you want to

Yes, you can sing all you want to

You can sing all you want to

And still get it wrong; 
Oh, worship is more than a song


We must not worship something that's not even worth it

Clear the stage, make some space for the One who deserves it


Anything I put before my God is an idol
Anything I want with all my heart is an idol
And anything I can't stop thinking of is an idol
And anything that I give all my love is an idol


'Cause I can sing all I want to

Yes, I can sing all I want to

And we can sing all we want to
We can sing all we want to
We can sing all we want to

And still get it wrong

Worship is more than a song

Clear the stage and set the sound and lights ablaze

If that's the measure you must take to crush the idols