By: Amanda Flinn

What’s a heart posture for worship, and what does yours look like? That’s something I discovered in my spiritual journey, which I’m sharing with you today.

Exploring a Heart Posture for Worship

As a child, if you would have asked me what worship is, this would have been it. Growing up in a Baptist church, we sang from hymnals and always ended service with an altar call. This is what I knew. Part of me loved it, yet part of me was scared to death. The last five minutes of the church service was a lot for a shy girl, who had lots of questions and big emotions. 

Toward the end of college, I started attending a Methodist church with a contemporary worship style. Rather than a choir, there were guitars, drums and a keyboard. Sometimes the music was Christian. Sometimes it was secular. Either way, it was always amazing. It was the first time I saw people in the congregation raise hands in response to worship. I didn’t understand why they did it, but I was curious. 

What would cause people to abandon their insecurities and lift their hands in a full room? Didn’t they know people were watching? Didn’t they care?

Claiming a Heart Posture for Worship

Over time, I came to appreciate those people. I could feel their passion and their desire to worship a God who walks with them. Who forgives them and loves them. A God who meets them where they are. I admired their heart posture for worship.

I soon found out there is something powerful about being surrounded by a group of believers gathering together to worship.  I’m talking about people who are so in love with Jesus it is oozing out of them. Complete reckless abandon. Head back. Arms up. Adoration. Praise. Joy. Thankfulness. 

And eventually, I became one of them.

This didn’t happen with every song. It didn’t occur in every situation. But the more I showed up expecting to be empowered by the Holy Spirit, the more I was able to let go of fear and fully step into a heart posture of worship. It wasn’t about the other people in the room. It was about me and God. 

Sometimes it still feels uncomfortable and awkward. Yet it is completely freeing and awesome and good (pretty much my definition of following Jesus – all the weird things end up being all the good things).

Cultivating a Heart Posture for Worship

Worship fills my soul, relaxes my body and gives my mind rest. It resets my heart posture.

A Wife Like Me – Amanda Flinn

It’s during times of worship that I remember who I am in Christ. Before I am a mom, wife, daughter, sister or friend, I am a child of God. My identity is in him. No matter what is on my to-do list, what dreams I am chasing or how I am feeling, my first response should always be worship. To give thanks and praise. To give back – because I am on the receiving end of God’s goodness all day long.

Whether it’s on Sunday morning or Thursday night, while driving in the car or cleaning house, God invites us to worship. It’s not about the building, the people or the song on the radio. We can do it together, alone, arms up, arms down, toes tapping or with our entire bodies spinning in circles. 

Worship is between you and God. It’s a posture of the heart. Even if we show up reluctantly, we can choose to believe that God will meet us in that space. 

If I could go back to that little girl in the pew, the one with all the questions, I would tell her that feeling big emotions is completely normal. It’s okay to cry, to dance, to laugh, to sing, and to ask anything you want. There’s no right or wrong way to worship. Just turn your heart toward God and be open to receiving His goodness. 

Worship is powerful. And whatever God has for you, is far better than anything you could ever imagine. It’s worth showing up for. 

Wife Step: Take time to reflect on what worship means to you. When do you do it? Why do you do it? Once you’ve answered those questions, make an intentional effort to worship outside of your comfort zone this week and study your heart posture toward God while you do it.

Do you want to intentionally grow your faith and marriage? If so, we’ve created the A Wife Like Me Collective for you! We’re waiting for you!