3 minute read
Songs from the Spirit
The Heart of Worship
BY SARA SAHM
Years ago, I had a record deal. I was chasing what I thought was success and fulfillment. But after many years of pain and self-induced heartache, I found myself vowing to never sing again. It wasn’t until six years ago that I picked up my guitar and began to sing again. This time was different. Even though my family and friends all pushed me to return to singing country, I knew my music was to be used only for the Lord.
One of the first songs I wrote was My Worship Song. remember waking up feeling irritated with God for prompting me to write again. As I sat cross-legged on the floor arguing with the Lord about not being “good enough,” He showed me that He was good enough and that was enough. I saw that it wasn’t the words I wrote or the melody I came up with that made the best worship song; it was His spirit working through my life.
As a worship leader, I sometimes find myself carrying the burden of people’s expectations. If I’m leading worship, I may become anxious over what to say or how to say it. It is easy to feel like it’s my responsibility to make people “feel” something. This thinking is a trap of lies and all about me, me, me! I felt God was trying to guide me away from this damaged thinking. As the song took shape, God revealed to me that a life lived for Him is the most precious gift I could ever offer.
I kept searching for more. What else was worship? I felt the Holy Spirit urging me to dig deeper. I came upon Mark 12:30-31, which tells us to love God and love others as ourselves. When we love someone or forgive or help someone in need, we honor God. Love is worship! All of life can be worship if we keep our eyes on the Lord and let Him use us. When you feel you have nothing to give, remember the Lord’s definition of true and proper worship and let that be enough.
Maybe you feel like you don’t have anything to offer in worship because you don’t sing or have musical talents. That is what is so beautiful about God. His only expectation for worship is that we bring our hearts and offer what we have. It’s the Holy Spirit who interoperates for us. He does all the work. As we live with our gaze set on things above, the light of the Lord shines through us. It shines THROUGH us, not BECAUSE of us.
Sara Sahm is a musician and songwriter. She recently became the worship leader for Woman World Leaders. Sara serves on the prayer team in her church and leads worship at local gatherings. She resides in Jupiter, Florida, with her husband and two young girls. She is a busy mom but tries to find a balance between home and ministry. You can download her songs for free at sarasahmmusic.com or watch videos on YouTube @sarasahm5437
