"To anyone who is serving today in music, you have an audience of one. It's him we worship. Be free."
M. Smith

The quote above was taken from the status of a friends facebook page.  It's not based on one single scripture, at least not one that I could find, but it is very scriptural.  God is who we worship, and we are to worship Him alone.  All throughout the Psalms we are encouraged, if not told, to worship God with singing and dancing; David worshiped God with "reckless abandon".  I'm not sure what that looks like exactly, but I bet David was 'free' with his worship.

My friend who wrote this has an amazing voice.  Quite honestly, I'm not sure I've heard one better.  Technically it's perfect, but it's not the technical perfection that leads those around him into the Holy of Holies.  It's his attitude towards worship.  My friend worships God because He's God, and he's worthy.  Not because he gets to be up on the stage at church.  Not because he wants God to do something or fix something for him.  He worships God because that is what we were created to do.

Our lives are meant to be an act of worship.  That should be comforting to those of you can't sing, or dance, or play an instrument, or run a sound board.  Every thing you do for someone (especially when they don't know you are doing it) is an act of worship towards God.  Every kind word you say, the way you perform on your job, how you love your spouse or kids or sister or dog ... everything we do can be an act of worship towards God ... if our attitude is right.  If we do it for Him, an audience of one, not for what others might say about us, or feel about us for doing it.

"Be free." 

Here's where I have to admit that this is tough for me.  I may sound like I have this down by what I've written so far.  I'm better than I used to be, that's for sure.  How I worship God has evolved over 21 years, but worship Him with my life?  I mean, I like doing things for others; I don't mind being kind to strangers; I want to be the salt and light of the earth ... but every once in a while it would be nice to be noticed.  I know, that's not an example of what I wrote above but it's how I feel at times. 

(Maybe this is a good time to admit something else: I write this blog for myself.  I'm glad that others have read it, but I do it so that I purposely study and meditate on scripture daily, not just read it.  So what I write often times is a reminder to myself of how I need to live.  If it helps someone else, that would bless me beyond measure.)

Anyway, I left off on being free.  I think I know my friend well enough to know what he meant by that.  He was saying to be yourself ... because that's good enough for God.  Be who you are ... because that's how God made you.  I would add this: be yourself, and let that be good enough for you.  You don't have to impress God.  Quite honestly, you can't.  He knows everything there is to know about you.  If you're like me however, it's nice to impress somebody now and then.  That's where we have to change ... where I have to change.  We don't have impress God because He loves us unconditionally.  We try to impress people but people have faults, so eventually we get let down.  You and I ... or maybe just 'I' ... need to stop playing the 'impress everyone' game ... we need to be free from it, and just be ourselves.  God loves us just the way we are.