Worship: The Kingdom Path

There was a growing awareness within. It had begun as a vague,

non-distinct impression that over time gained clarity and light. I was working full time in my busy Clinical Social Work practice. Mornings, afternoons and even some evenings were filled with appointments with those to whom the Lord had given me [to them] for a season of Christian counsel. The presenting mental health needs and problems were varied, touching, challenging, some chronic in nature and some acute. I found satisfaction in this ministry – market place arena as a helping professional, “a worshiper with counseling skills.” I was grateful to God for the equipping and the holy and affirming privilege to serve Him and the Body of Christ in this way.

The path to this time and place of service had extended over many years and much preparation. At age sixteen I sat in church one Sunday night pondering before the Lord a question that had been posed to my youth group that night. For the first time ever I had been presented with the truth that God created each person intentionally, uniquely, purposively, not randomly or by coincidence. It was a revelation! I was eager to know for what purpose and destiny had He created me? Sitting in that pew I simply asked Him and to my great surprise He “spoke” to my heart with the impression that I would help others as a counselor. I was not at all expecting that answer but it resonated in my adolescent heart.

And so, the Holy Spirit had led me to this time and place. Through the years He had equipped spiritually, educationally, and professionally and the ministry was flourishing and bearing fruit. The need for this type of ministry was great and growing as more and more people experienced increasing challenges and sought God honoring help in addressing them. People came from my tristate area and beyond. Christian contacts began to ask me to open offices in their areas to extend the reach of the services. I was considering, inquiring of the Lord, about expanding. It was an attractive possibility that could lead to a larger ministry and greater influence for Kingdom purpose.  

This was the backdrop as I began to experience in my spirit the impression mentioned. As the impression grew in clarity it seemed so discordant with what I was otherwise experiencing. At first I did not recognize it as the Lord. What I was hearing was simply: “Will you give Me your mornings?”

Will I give You my mornings? I was challenged to find time to meet the growing ministry requests not to mention the consideration to expand. In the midst of people being helped and life goals being reached, what was He asking? God knew. The impression lingered, it did not fade while I questioned over and over; “Lord, is that You?”

He had given this ministry of Clinical Social Work, would I bow it unto Him? This was not about scheduling appointments; He was calling me to Himself, to “Come and worship.” Would it be His ministry or mine? Would I be His worshiper with counseling skills or a Christian clinician in name, while in fact bowing to my own agenda? This was about who ruled in my life. Would I decrease that He would increase?

There was no pressure. No demand. It was always only a gentle wooing request but within this caress was a test. He was testing my treasure, my heart.

Off the beaten path again! He was calling me to differentiate between the Lord of the work and the work of the Lord. His priority was not my work for Him but always my relationship with Him. He wanted me, my heart, not principally what work I could accomplish in His name. He wanted me to choose “the good portion” which is Himself and my relationship with Him, worshipfully.  He was literally calling me to give preference, to take time to be with Him in the midst.  It was another experience of being called up to Him and His priority of a worshipful relationship with Him. 

By His generous and patient grace He enabled me to give Him my mornings. To do so was to embrace His heart’s call to my heart and affirm His Lordship over my life and ministry. Over time He would ask for more and more yieldedness until I came to understand that this was not just a season of pruning, it was the way of life on the kingdom pathway of the life of worship. These are the ways of God.