Take It To Heart
What am I taking to heart?
“I heard a complaint that Sam runs sound too loud for a few people.”
“Hey, I can’t play this Sunday.”
“We don’t have that in the budget.”
“I don’t know if I agree with your vision.”
“I’m not going to be able to go on the team retreat.”
“I don’t think anyone in this room is engaging right now…other than that one guy that always does.”
“Come on drummer, the fill should stay on the click!”
“I am not sure if I’m cut out for this.”
“Here comes summer…and all its scheduling-holes-glory”
We all hear loads of things. From our leaders, from our team, from our congregations, and from our own heads.
But I’ll ask it again. What am I taking to heart?
The worst is when someone reams you out and then says, “now, you take that to heart!”
No. I won’t, actually.
I will guard my heart…because that’s where my very life flows from! (Proverbs 4:23)
Now, this doesn’t mean I keep my head in the sand, hide my heart, or don’t take feedback. No, no! We are learners who push to grow all the time.
But what am I taking to heart? I love that Mary “treasured up” things in her heart. And I wonder what are some things that we as worship leaders can fill our hearts with, can treasure up, can keep thinking about, can take to heart.
HIS BANNER OVER ME IS LOVE
The words from this [Kevin Prosch classic] taken from Song of Solomon 2:4 frame us squarely in the friendly confines of a very loving God.
He brought me to His banqueting table, and His banner over me is love
I am my beloved’s, and He is mine; yes, His banner over me is love
We can feel the love of God in this place
We believe Your goodness; we receive Your grace
We delight ourselves at Your table, oh God
You do all things well; just look at our lives
That last line can be such a statement requiring faith, but we must live in His love, we must live from the place of being loved by God Himself. We must take His love to heart.
JESUS IS THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF OUR FAITH
Lay aside your bootstraps and allow your shoulders to relax. The very King of the universe is actively at work to develop faith in you. Treasure that! It’s the only way to run our God-given race with perseverance. (Hebrews 12:1-2) I take to heart that He carries mine.
GOD HOLDS MY IDENTITY.
That period is a statement. I don’t call those shots. I can’t mess that up. If I spill coffee all over my laptop’s keyboard, I don’t lose my data because it’s stored remotely. My Creator is the one who designed me, who fashioned me, who dreamt my destiny, who defines me. Interestingly, “Who You Say I Am” is currently the top CCLI song. I treasure up that I’m His treasure.
OUR FUTURE IS BRIGHT
One line in the song is: “In my Father’s house there’s a place for me; I’m a child of God, yes I am.” It reminds me of one of my favorite hidden gem songs from Sandra McCracken that sings:
We will feast in the house of Zion
We will sing with our hearts restored
“He has done great things!” we will say together
We will feast and weep no more
This view of the future will always beat the word on the (internet) street. It will always conquer the fear of the real troubles of this life with the secure hope of the delight of the next. And when I put into practice the prayer that Jesus modeled for us, my prayer for this life to mirror the next, my stuff in this house like it was in my last house, on earth as it is in heaven, my full heart overflows…
And I worship!
-Dave Helmuth
(purchase my book, "Worship Fertilizer: (the first hundred)" HERE)
Take It To Heart (Nº 185)
