How praise and thanksgiving should be

In a blog post from earlier this week, Peter Kennedy posted a story told by Worship Leader, Kelly Carpenter.  This story speaks to me on exactly how praise and thanksgiving is supposed to be working in the lives of all Christians.  Read it carefully and prayerfully.

 In January 1994, Kelly Carpenter was busy doing things serving God, when he began feeling the Lord wanted more of him. Kelly was a worship leader at his church. He just finished a church service, but his heart was not quite in it. "My heart was heavy that day because I had come to the realization that I had put my ministry in front of my relationship with the Lord. So I literally cried out to Him, "I lay it all down again to hear You say that I'm Your friend."  Within 20 minutes he had written the praise song “Draw Me Close.” Kelly said that "the song just spilled out."

"This song has always been intensely personal for me," Kelly adds, "and continues to bring me back to my knees, that my relationship with God should come first before the call, the vision, and the ministry that He has given me."

Kelly said brokenness, as he's come to understand it, is a universal experience throughout life. "The song connects with anyone who is going through brokenness." He continues, even years down the road to hear from people who've been impacted by the song.

 Let nothing come between you and Jesus. Today in prayer, praise the Lord that He is a personal God who loves you intimately.

 “Draw me close to you Never let me go I lay it all down again To hear you say that I’m your friend” – Kelly Carpenter

First of all, thanks for the story.  And thanks for giving us this lesson of praise and thanksgiving. Now I want my readers to do some thinking for themselves.
 
Notice Kelly was actively involved in sharing the blessing of worship with his church....that is his job. In the process of his task, Kelly felt something wasn't right and his heart was heavy. Then it dawned on him. His ministry had actually taken priority over his personal relationship with God.  He literally prayed out loud, "I lay it all down again to hear You say that I'm Your friend."

So we come to the point of asking if there is anything, good or bad, in which we become so devoted and involved, that it damages our relationship with God?  Is there anything in this world, good or bad, that is worth giving up all that God gives us and makes of us?

The fact that God draws us close to him should be at the top of our list of those things for which we are thankful.  Praise God he loves us this much. 

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