Testimony (1)

Worship is not simply about notes, words, sound, or melody. Rather, worship is a lifestyle. Romans 6:13 teaches us to "offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness."

"Worshiping God means fearing God." "Worshiping God means glorifying the Lord with all your soul." "Worshiping God means being obedient." "Worshiping God means giving thanks to Him always." "Worshiping God means striving to be a child of God."

As the Chinese Church evangelizes, it teaches the importance of being a Christian. However, it forgets to emphasize the role of worship as a lifestyle. For the past twelve years, I have been teaching church musicians how to praise the Lord. Only when they understand what it means to praise the Lord, can they understand what worshiping God truly means. And only when they understand worshiping God, can they truly honor and obey Him. I remember one year I taught—1999—when an elderly woman had difficultly learning. Her first lesson was a long struggle, but by the second lesson, she had improved significantly. By the third lesson, she was able to play piano at intermediate level. Ever since that year, she has been practicing consistently, overcoming the challenges of learning an instrument. When I went to teach again this year, she was one of the best students. I couldn’t help but wonder how she improved so quickly. When I asked, she secretly told me that she had prayed to God, asking Him to help her be the best at preaching, praying, and worshiping. Because the church would urge her to give up if she were not skilled in these, she directly asked God for help. She kept praying. 2001 was the year she needed God’s help more than anything, so she sought refuge in Psalms 28:7 and prayed. Whenever she ate a meal, she sought a quiet place to pray alone. She knew that no matter how hard she tried, she wouldn’t be as good as other people. Yet, she continued to pray to God, asking Him not only to help her learn, but also to help her be the best. In her weakest time, God gave her the most strength and allowed her to experience his constant faithfulness. There was also another sister in the church who suffered because her arm was gradually deteriorating. Each time we visited her, she grew weaker and weaker. On the fourth and last time we saw her, she was so fragile that she neither play the piano nor sing. The only thing she could play was a paper keyboard. However in her heart, she remembered her teacher’s most important lesson: worship was complete obedience in God in any circumstance; so she continued to obey and praise the Lord despite her weakness.