FINALLY. The semester is over, we can breathe, and we’re away from all things that give us stress.

Or are we?

Throughout the semester, we studied the life of David through the writings of Samuel. We heard the good, bad, and ugly – stories of developing valuable friendships, giving in to temptations, and covering up mistakes with lies and desperate attempts to save face.

We tend to go through life thinking that if we just pass this one thing, everything else will be smooth sailing. Just reach the next checkpoint, the next difficult task. Or if we can cover up that one thing, all will be fine! But this isn’t how life works. We are guaranteed to face more and more challenges and consequences for our actions until we leave Earth.

But this shouldn’t be discouraging.

This would be discouraging if we didn’t have a Savior. But since Jesus has given himself to each of us as a gift, we are armed with more than we could ever ask for. Consider this: we cannot hide from our problems, as much as we think we can. God lays things on our hearts that we never expect him to. We cannot grow without addressing things that we struggle with. David learned this the hard way when he tried to cover up his adultery by getting Uriah to come home and sleep with his wife so it would seem that Bathsheba’s pregnancy was because of her husband, Uriah.

David gets through his life by being vulnerable and singing God’s praises.

Psalm 34 – I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together! I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.

On surface level, this Psalm may seem (among others) that it was exclaimed when everything was going well. David’s life was broken, just like all of ours, but if we are real with ourselves and our Savior, we have all the tools we need to embrace our failures instead of hiding from them.

Another important thing to remember is that being vulnerable does not just involve being real with those around you – it involves being real with yourself, too. As said in Lamentations 3:40, “Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the Lord!”

David’s struggle was raw and his story was human. He was nowhere near perfect, as none of us are expected to be. The most stimulating part of David’s story was not the list of his wrongdoings, but his reliance on God in all situations. This is how we show resilience. Consider the role Jesus can play in your lives as you reflect on your semester and go into the new year, embracing your own humanity and loving others fully as a direct result. Here’s to a refreshing start to 2018 with Jesus right by our sides.

Haley Welch, Impact Student President

Slow music... Dimmed lights... Just the right amount of fog…

If we’re honest, these are a few things that come to mind when we think of worship today.

But what if I told you worship was created to be SO much more? Not just a place to be, but a state of being?

“All places are a place of worship to a Christian.  Wherever he is, he ought to be in a worshipping frame of mind.” [Charles Spurgeon]

Music or no music, worship is a way of life. It’s an act and an attitude.

So why is worship important for a college student? Well, the importance is found in the very essence of its meaning.

Worship is…

Beautiful.

According to Webster, Worship is “excessive admiration for someone; the act of expressing such reverence/respect.”

There are multiple ways to express such admiration for God. It could be through song, as it commonly is, or it could simply be by giving God praise, honor, and glory for every good thing in your life through your daily words and actions.

Worship has always been important to me, but it was at the age of 17 that I discovered what true worship was. It was during a Sunday morning service, at a time in worship when the instruments began playing a little harder, the congregation began to sing a little louder, and the presence of God was evident. As the music began to build, with a microphone in hand, I looked down at the front row from the stage. All of a sudden, I couldn’t get a single word to come out of my mouth. I was speechless at what I saw.

There in the front row was a man standing with his arms stretched high, as if He were trying to touch Heaven. He was singing the words to the song with such passion in his face… and he couldn’t hear a single note being sung or a chord being played because he was deaf. 

It was then that God dealt with me about true worship.  To this man, the music didn’t matter; all that mattered was God, and giving Him the admiration He deserves. In that moment of worship, he simply offered himself. And that’s what worship should be; an act of surrendering yourself out of trust in who God is and His will for your life.

It’s the art of knowing that in every situation life throws your way, God’s got you. 

It’s living beautifully abandoned, in awe of the One who sacrificed His only Son to save you, because He loves you that much.

Being able to lift God up out of revelation of who He is… that’s beautiful. And that’s worship.

A matter of the heart.

John 4:23-24 – “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

The man I talked about in the previous point, to me, is a visual representation of the worshipper God is referring to in this passage. Worshipping God “in spirit and truth” has to do with the heart.

It has to be more than a song; it has to be an internal attitude before it can be an external act, and that begins with time in prayer and in God’s word.

“I believe worship is an expression of honesty between our hearts and God’s. It’s an exchange of pure love. We receive and experience His love for us and cannot help but give it back to Him.” [Kari Jobe]

Worship is rooted in the knowledge of God and His love. When you begin to realize who He is and reflect on all that He has done for you, it’s hard NOT to be in awe and express love towards Him through worship.

Vital.

How easy is it to worry about things in college? REALLY EASY!

But fact: You can’t worry and worship at the same time.

Worry is failing to trust who God is and what He has promised.

Worship is acting out of an attitude of knowing and believing in who God is and what He has promised.

Between exams, papers, clubs, and group projects, college can take a toll. That’s not including work and everything else life entails. It can be really easy to worry about these things and allow them to take hold of your thoughts.

As a senior, this is something I struggle with daily. I mean, if I had a dime for every time someone’s asked me if I’ve got my future figured out yet, I would’ve had my student loans paid off three months ago (not really, but pretty close).

It’s easy to allow the unknown of tomorrow to weigh on your mind, but you have to rest in God and take Him at His word. You have to take the time to meditate on His promises and remind yourself of them daily; especially when you start to worry.

Matthew 6:34 -- “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

This is why worship is important for a college student. It is the act of surrendering your heart, mind, troubles, and future plans to God; acknowledging that He knows best. Worship welcomes the presence of God into our lives, and there is no peace like being in His presence. All the cares of this world don’t seem like such a big deal when you live your life in the presence of the One who created it.

So my challenge to you…

Dedicate time to spend in worship. Talk to God and allow Him to talk back. It may seem hard to find time in your busy schedule, but trust me; you don’t have time to NOT spend time with God.

He’s worthy of the admiration.

Taylor Sidwell, Student in Impact at IUPUI/Worship Team Member