Goodness + Love

I grew up attending a more traditional Methodist church.  Every Sunday we sang hymns - and to a middle schooler they appeared just a *tad* lame.  It felt like we were singing the same thing over and over again.  I honestly couldn't wait until we finished some of them.  My brothers and I even had our favorites and to no one's surprise they were usually the shorter ones (anyone ever sing Jesu?! lol)

Then we started attending more non denominational churches.  Their "hip, contemporary" music was much more interesting to me and I would consider it more my style.  However, the problem with this thinking was that I was making worship all about me: What I liked. My preferences.  It was not about worshipping God, I was essentially concerned about if the music was suiting my needs.  Only here in America can we have churches that offer three different services with different types of music to suite our needs. 

Well before I go on more of a rant about something that probably could be discussed in a whole other post, I wanted to tell you about my new excitement and fascination with hymns.  Over the past few years I have really listened to the words in some of our ancient hymns and holy moly.  These writers had one heck of a walk with God.  They said things like this:

{All found here}

This past week we sang the song "Blessed Assurance" and in it are the lyrics listed above "Filled with his goodness, lost in His love."  As those words scrolled across the screen I couldn't help but think how powerful they were.  Very rarely do I stop (even though I should more) and ask myself when I am singing a song, is this true of me?  Are these lyrics declaring real truth in my life or am I just reading the words? 

How differently would my life look like if I truly was filled with His goodness and lost in His love.  I decided to take some time and search for scriptures that talk about how God embodies these things:

Psalm 27: 13-14

"I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living. 
Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord."

Psalm 23:6

"Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever."

Psalm 116: 12-13

"What shall I return to the Lord

for all his goodness to me?

I will lift up the cup of salvation

and call on the name of the Lord."

Although in the hymn the writer is referring to a time when he will be heaven, the scriptures I found relate specifically to here on earth.  We can see God's goodness now.  We are filled with his love and goodness (fruits of the Spirit: Galatians 5) now.  If I was filled with God's goodness and lost in His love I would....

Trust Him more in every circumstance of my life. 

See the bigger picture and not get bogged down in the day to day stresses.

Praise Him for the smallest things.

Be more thankful.

Share the message of the gospel more.

There are so many ways my life would be changed by the truth from this hymn.  And while I would still call myself a K Love kind of a gal, these hymns and their powerful lyrics are definitely growing on me.