“It wonders me, it wonders me.  How beautiful a day can be.  How green the field!  How blue the sky! How red and gold the maple tree!  It wonders me, it wonders me.*” The words to this song can be interpreted from two very different perspectives. 
 
Pure bewilderment.  This is the response of the person without any knowledge or acknowledgement of God.  How in the world can the world be so beautiful?  Everything has been created randomly, so how did the grass become so green?  How could red and gold happen together on the same tree by chance?  It is all so beautiful and pointless and I can’t figure out why.  
 
Pure praise.  This is the response of the person who knows the reality of God.  “God, your world fills me with wonder.  The world you created is beautiful and green and blue and the blend of colors is amazing.  I do not know how you did it God; and I praise you for what you have done!  You wonder me.”
 
The difference between the two perspectives is called worship.  Many people act out of the understanding that worship is just participating in God-focused music together on Sunday morning.  That is a false belief. 

Any action that is motivated by the purpose of glorifying God is worship.  Anything that by your motivation could glorify God either privately or publicly could be worship.  Worship might be interpreting music together, but it could also be thinking, cleaning the dishes, reading aloud to your children, walking for exercise or loving one another.    Paul says “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do—do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31.  If we were truly focusing on God’s amazing being, every moment of our day would become a moment of worship.  Private moments would become private worship –just between you and God.  Public moments would become public worship  --- a credible witness of God’s glory to all those around you as you love one another.  How do you live your life --in bewilderment or in praise?
 
While in college, I was challenged by a professor to keep a “worship journal”. In this journal we needed to make four entries a week recording personal worship.  That was the only explanation we received.  This journal changed my understanding -- my perspective about worship.  The first few entries were easy.  I wrote poems and songs and responses to chapel services.  After a while I began to struggle.  That is when I began to find moments of worship in every part of my day.  Sometimes we forget to be motivated by a desire to glorify God.  To encourage you in this motivation, I am passing my professor’s challenge on to you.  All you need is an empty notebook and an ink pen.  For your first entry, record your response to the scripture for today. Remembering that true love is a decision to put another first (and not just an emotion), how will your relationships and actions change when your motivation becomes Glorifying God?  Who will benefit when your interaction with others becomes worship?  Why is a motivation to glorify God particularly difficult when it involves our response to other people in our lives?  

 *It Wonders Me was written by Hague for the musical “Plain and Fancy”