“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Philippians 4:8
God has recently reminded me that worry and worship can’t exist in my heart at the same time. Webster’s defines worship in this way: “To honor or show reverence; to regard with great or extravagant respect, honor, or devotion” When I worship God, I honor and regard Him with the greatest respect and He holds the highest place in my heart. When I worship Him, I treasure Him, dwell on who He is, and the truth of what He has done for me. This naturally creates a lifestyle of praise and joy caused by God’s presence.
In contrast, a definition of worry is, “to give way to anxiety or unease; allow one's mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles.” When I worry, I let my troubles have a high place in my heart. I am considering life and feeling dread, as if God didn’t exist and as if I am alone.
Worship pulls me out of the pit of worry and sets my feet on solid ground. When I worship my mind is fixed on what is true, and honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, things that are excellent and worthy of praise. When you are worshiping it’s hard to start worrying about something because you're so focused on Jesus and His presence with you. Replacing thoughts of worry with thoughts of worship really helps.
I think the words to this song by Natalie Grant capture this concept very well. It is called, “Worship is My Weapon”. Here are the lyrics:
Let every lie be silenced
And all depression cease
Let every dark assignment
Bow down at Jesus' feet
Let every curse be broken
Let every storm be tamed
And all that come against us
Be bound in Jesus' name
Your presence is my greatest weapon
Pushing back the darkness
Breaking every chain
My worship opens up the heavens
Crushing every stronghold
When I speak Your name
'Cause Your presence is my weapon
Your presence is my weapon
Your strength will not be shaken
Your love will not back down
Death has been defeated
What can stop me now?
I hold on to what You've spoken
You said that I am free
You've given me Your promise
And You are my victory
Your word and a melody
Are making a way for me
You defeat the enemy
This prison is shaking now
And these walls are coming down
Your presence makes me free
I am free