“Worship in all things”- by Kylee Cowart
Worship ministry: something typically associated with praise and worship within the church. Which, yes, is a completely valid association, and what a beautiful association it is! However, over the last few months of 2022, God brought to my heart a new outlook on worship ministry: worship encompasses every aspect of ministry in which we serve the Lord- including, but not limited to, praise and worship.
Worship is my passion. It is what brings me the most joy. It is what my heart longs to do and what every heart was created to do. I was called into worship ministry in my 7th grade year of middle school and began serving in worship ministry my sophomore year of high school. When deciding what to study in college, I knew that my passion was music. Considering it was my passion and call on my life, the Lord directed me to pursue music as my course of study and career path. Over the last year, God has grown my love for worship and for inviting others into worshipping Him with me- i.e. the practice of serving in worship ministry.
While serving in worship ministry is indeed my passion and calling, I have not been able to serve regularly in this facet of ministry over the last year and a half. There was a point during this last semester of college where this reality hit me HARD. It was as if what my soul longed to do and what God had called me to do, He wasn’t allowing me to do. I found myself asking, “God, I just long to be serving in worship ministry. Why am I not? Why haven’t you opened the door?” During this time, the Holy Spirit quietly spoke this truth to my heart: “even though you are not serving in weekly congregational praise and worship ministry at a church, you ARE serving me in worship ministry.”
You may read that and question it. Isn’t the basis of worship ministry to serve and lead the people of God in songs of worship? Yes! It is. But it is also much more than that. Over this last semester, I was serving on campus in weekly discipleship ministry, and I loved it! It was a joy to meet with daughters of the King each week and open the Word of God, studying teachings from our mid-week services and discuss how God is working in our lives. But, while serving in this position, I had adopted the mindset that this specific area of ministry was not fulfilling the area of ministry I had been called to: worship. However, the Holy Spirit reminded me of a key truth about worship: it is a lifestyle. Worship is not separated between the different areas of my life, it is not only present when I am praising Jesus with song, it is not singled out to the times when I am on a stage leading God’s people. God has called worship to be a part of WHO I AM, and in everything I do. Colossians 3:17 puts it in helpful terms, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Because of this, worship is present in every area of ministry I serve in and every area of ministry YOU serve in, be it praise and worship, student ministry, senior adult ministry, international ministry, or anything in between. God desires worship to be the backbone of EVERYTHING we do and are! It is what we were created to do, and it is what followers of Christ will be doing forever in the presence of our holy, righteous, and almighty Father.
Over the last few months of 2022, God has reminded me that, ultimately, He is sovereign. He is orchestrating my life in the way that best glorifies Him and brings me closer to Him. So, whether I am serving God in praise and worship ministry or somewhere else of His choosing, I am still involved in worship ministry. ALL of life is meant to be directed to the glory of God in worship.
In understanding His sovereignty, I can rest in the assurance that regardless of whether my current circumstance looks like what I desire, He is still deserving of all my worship and everything I have to give.
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
1 Corinthians 10:31
