"If it's easy to do, it's not a sacrifice..."

     I'm completely speechless right now. As I was reading a blog on purity, I came across this quote: "...if it’s easy to do, it’s not a sacrifice." This came from the blogger talking about what worship truly is. A lot of times, when I've talked to guys about purity issues, the main thing I always told them that when temptations strike, instantly get into worship. Turn on some music, get out your Bible and start reading, do something. I never thought to think that "worship" is derived from Genesis 22, when Abraham was called to sacrifice his son, Isaac. In Genesis 22:5, Abraham tells his servants to stay with the animals while he and Isaac went to "worship," even though Abraham knew he was about to sacrifice his son.
     If you know the story about Abraham, you know that he and his wife tried for so long to have a child. It was when Abraham was an old man that God finally blessed him with Isaac. You can almost understand the idolatry that may have fallen into Abraham's life. Although he praised God for the gift, you can almost feel this sense of not liking the idea of having to sacrifice is one and only son. Doesn't that sound familiar? That's what worship is. Worship is sending praises to something that we believe has a significant impact in our life.
     Perhaps you worship your girlfriend/boyfriend, because she/he is always around when it's convenient, and when it's not. Maybe you worship your job where you spend countless hours making so much money that you don't even know what to do with it. Or, maybe it's spending hours on the internet looking at things you know wouldn't be approved by God. Yes, that, too, is worship. Worship is replacing God on His throne with something that removes God from His throne, and earthly things take that seat.
     I'm rambling, but something has stirred inside of me. "If it's easy to do, it's not a sacrifice." It's easy to push in a worship CD, and grab your Bible. Anybody with physical capabilities can do that! What's not easy is realizing that when you're worshiping, you're sacrificing yourself for something greater than yourself. It's not about you anymore, but all about the King. Dethrone your idols, and put God back where He belongs. It may take sacrifice, but in the end, the ram is provided!