Do It God’s Way Even When It’s Hard
A life of worship with Hope Darst
In a world filled with shifting values and constant distractions, building a resilient life of worship requires steadfast determination and a surrendered heart. Christian worship leader, musician and songwriter, Hope Darst, recently shared her insights on the challenges and blessings of following God’s way in an interview with Family Life Radio.
The Psalmist describes God as always trustworthy. “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber” (Psalm 121: 1-3 ESV).
Hope discussed a life of resilience and explained, “I think it’s easy to think it’s simple to let the Lord build our house and everything is going to be fine.”
“It takes a lot of determination to say, ‘I’m going to do it God’s way even when it’s really hard.’”
It means surrendering to God even when it goes against everything you want to do and how you want to do it.
“It’s also having to recognize places that you’re going to have to say, I’m sorry, God,” Hope further explained. “This thing that I’m doing here, I don’t know if my motives are right.”
“I don’t know if it’s actually rooted in Your Word, if it’s being built on You or if it’s just being built on me and my own strength. And the posture to say, ‘God you have permission to tear it down.’”
Hope described this as a “terrifying statement.” But she realizes, after many years of walking with the Lord, the things that God allowed to fall apart have been for her benefit. God has always taken care of her and provided for her.
Some things were hindrances or not built on a solid foundation, so they had to go, which is frightening at times, but at this point in Hope’s life, it is the only way she knows how to build.
“Building a life on Jesus and with Jesus is the only life that I’m interested in building,” Hope declared.
Hope described what building a life on Jesus looks like:
- Read your Bible.
- Attend church and be in fellowship with a community of believers.
- Cultivate learning how to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit.
- Learn to sense when you get a check in your spirit about something and be quick to ask God what He is saying to you.
- Invite trusted others to pray for you and hold you accountable.
- Repent, not only to God but also to others, when you get something wrong.
Like all of us, Hope says she doesn’t always get it right, but she is learning the importance of being available and being vulnerable. As you do life in a community of believers, there will be times when you make mistakes. There will be times when you must repent to God, pick up the phone and make a call to say, “I’m sorry. I got that wrong. Please forgive me.”
“It’s also allowing the Word to convict you,” Hope explained. “And to not just dismiss that.” When you read your Bible and it convicts something in you, it is important to listen and not just brush it off as a cultural thing but allow the Holy Spirit to bring clarity. It is possible He is highlighting something, like a boundary line that you cannot cross, if you want to honor Him in all you do.”
“Quite frankly, worship is not songs,” Hope said. “That’s one expression, but worship is a life that is completely surrendered to honoring God in every single thing that we do.”
“I don’t want to stand before God” Hope continued, “And [say] I wrote You all these songs, but in my actual life, I didn’t know how to worship You. I didn’t know how to have a posture of ‘You are what matters. This is all for you, God. This isn’t for me.’ And so it’s a hard thing. I don’t get it right by any means.”
Hope views it as an awareness. As she wakes up each morning, she focuses on how she wants to live her life to best honor God. She accomplishes this with people around her to help her along the way, not in isolation.
“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17 ESV).
And Hebrews 10:24-25 reminds us, “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (ESV)
By allowing God to tear down and rebuild, you can construct a life that is firmly rooted in Jesus Christ. Through reading God’s Word, prayer and listening you can cultivate sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. You can embrace repentance and accountability in community.
As you practice these disciplines, along with Hope, you will want to even more and you will continually grow in your worship and honor to God. You will build a resilient life of worship, trusting in His faithfulness every step of the way.
If you choose not to be anxious about anything, you can live a supernatural life.
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