I started in ministry as a youth pastor, not so much because I was trained in it or prepared for it, but mainly because I was a student myself. My first job in ministry was the summer of my freshman year in college. I was 18, optimistic and clueless, but loved kids and loved Jesus. At the time it didn’t seem like it would be that hard to imagine introducing them to each other and caring for them for a summer. I’ll never forget in those earlier years of youth ministry trying to teach on trust. I had my whole group of kids at a “ropes course” and we were about to do the trust fall. I’d seen this done in my own youth group and remembered it being a powerful way to teach kids how to care for each other and to build trust in our group. Thinking this would be a great lesson for our kids, I was standing toward the back waiting for the learning to begin when the guide says “Drew why don’t you come up and be first to fall and show these kids there’s nothing to be afraid of.” I was terrified, but had no choice. I began to climb a ladder against a tree that led to an 8 or 9 foot platform. He told me to cross my arms and to wait for the signal to fall backwards into the arms of my group. I remember turning around to see the kids and noticing that the group was made up of mostly Junior High girls. I was 6’3” and 250, and my faith in this exercise was waning by the minute. The guide had the kids shout “Do you trust us?” and I shouted back, “I trust you!”. Without thinking too much more I let my weigh fall back and my heart race. In that moment my action proved my words, that I really did trust those kids. They caught me, though they took me to the ground. One by one they couldn’t wait to climb the ladder and fall themselves.
Our lives of worship are much the same. It’s imperative that we not just say words, we must follow through with the fall, we have to trust God in the action as well. To worship and not trust, is to not worship at all. When we live our lives as offerings to God, giving Him all that we are and believing He will use our mountain tops as well as our valleys, we’re trusting His sovereignty. It’s one thing to stand and sing of God’s faithfulness, yet quite another to experience it. It’s easy to form words and even muster passion in our hearts about what we believe and our commitment to Christ but still so much more to live lives of action, sacrifice, and obedience. God is more pleased when we obey Him over our liturgy as we “serve” him. (I Sam. 15:22). God is blessed with our promise of trust, but we’re not trusting until we actually exercise it. Our songs and service to God are good but it’s not until we put our hands to the serving of those who are in need or put our feet to the journey of sharing Jesus with the world that our words, songs and worship have the substance of meaning, the proof in the pudding as it were. Missionaries worship as they build relationships and serve the poor, pastors worship as they shepherd the sick, families worship as they eat dinner together, reminded of God’s provision. The broken heart is full of worship as it hopes in the Lord, mourns authentically, yet trusts completely. Is your worship grounded in trust. Don’t just yell out “God I trust you” without being willing to fall.
