Julia Roberts once said, “My real hair color is kind of a dark blonde. Now I just have mood hair.” From brown to blonde to red, and back to blonde, I definitely am sporting the mood hair these days. On Wednesday I went to my wonderful hairstylist, Kelly, for a simple retouch, but came out with an amazing new do. I am now inching my way back to brownish…maybe 
However, while I was in the salon chair I began thinking about how a good or bad hair-do can make or break a girl’s day. Why is that? For me, if my hair feels gross or looks gross, my day takes on a gloom mood. But if it is freshly washed and amazingly styled (thanks to Kelly) then the hop in my step returns and I can hear the blue birds singing. Can I get an amen?
Then it clicked! In times like that, my mood becomes based on outer influences as opposed to the inner influences. My outer appearance or circumstance was dictating how I saw, treated, and reacted to the world around me. But in reality the hope, joy, forgiveness, and gratefulness I have experienced should be the ones doing the dictating. Then I thought, (you know how one little thought leads to a million different ones and you cannot really figure out how they got connected) how many times is my worship based on my personal experience? When things are going good I praise and celebrate and when things are not going too hot, I cry out of desperation. Now, those things are not bad, but I do not ever want to get to a point in my life where I only praise in the midst of happy days and only desire God in the times of emptiness.
We wrote a song a month ago called “Heavenly Sound” (which is going on the worship album), and it stemmed from the idea that, as children of God, when we decided to worship it is not as if we are starting something new. When we worship we are joining in with the worship that God is already receiving from the nations, creation, and angels in heaven. Revelation 4 and 5 give us a picture of this kind of worship. John says, “And the four living creatures…day and night never cease to say, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come’.” (Revelation 4:8). Worship is already happening. God does not need our worship. He does not need our praise. So praising and worshiping Him on the basis of our circumstances is meaningless.
And so I encourage you, as I have been encouraged, evaluate your definition of worship. Is the sincerity of your worship based on your circumstances? Is it merely an experience you seek or is it truly the face of God?
~JH
[Ps, Here are the lyrics for the song:]
Heavenly Sound
Tonight, heaven and earth collide
In response to His wonderful light
The angels and church will cry.
Redeemed, we stand and sing
Of the mercy of our Great King
As we join with the heavenly sound.
Holy, holy, God Almighty
Who was and is and is to come
And the angels sing over and over
And we will join in with their song
And now, the Church will answer the call
And with the angels we’ll stand in awe
And with one voice declare.
The Son, worthy to break the seal
The ransom church revealed
By Jesus the risen Lamb of God.
