…in bringing You praise.
Several weeks ago, I set out for my morning walk with my iPod tuned to Hillsong United. I’ve listened to United We Stand a million times, but God has a way of making things stand out when He’s trying to speak. As “From The Inside Out” played, the phrase “the art of losing myself in bringing You praise” hit my heart so deeply. The rest of the song played, but my mind stayed on those words.
Losing yourself really is an art. I find that it doesn’t come naturally, for me anyway. I like to be in control and know what’s coming around the corner. I don’t like surprises, because surprises mean something happened out of my control. I have a feeling I’m not alone in my desire for control. I believe it’s a mechanism that we all find comfort in.
But losing ourselves…that takes reckless abandon. It takes discipline and action. It takes a laying down and giving up of ourselves. It takes risk. It takes letting God be in control. I really want it no other way, and so I practice this art, even if means going into the depths of the unknown, ever thankful that my Savior is with me every step of the way.
I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders. I will be glad and exult in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. Psalm 9:1, 2
By Jen Price, I Believe In Love
Leave a Comment
Oh, Amen, sister! Amen and Amen! Your heart is so beautiful! I pray the same for us both, and all women visiting this place today.
Sweet blessings, Jen, as He leads you deeper into reckless abandonment of *You* and deeper into *Him*…
I love that song! And, it’s message I need to remind myself daily. Thank you. 🙂
Jen,
Great post! It is often very hard to lose oneself. I find that some songs just seem to hit me & while in church I will raise my hands or even clap them. I’m there to praise God & let Him know how I feel about His saving me!
Keep on losing yourself to God!!
So beautifully written . I love your perspective. My need to control things often gets in the way of me being fully submitted to the Lord. Trust is so hard sometimes. But it is an art that takes moment-by-moment practice…. trusting that His plan and His design for me is the perfect one. Anything else is a cheap imitation. I loved this reminder.
Perfect photo for this post =)
Perfect and simple…reckless abandon in losing oneself…myself…takes discipline and action…what a paradox! Thanks for ministering to me with your words today, Jen!
Control… ironic that when we try to hold on the tightest and control everything in our life it is at this point that we actually have the least control. I had to work through this idea with my therapist while in recovery for anorexia. For the longest time I thought I was controlling my life, my food intake, etc etc yet all the while the disease was actually controlling me. I am now 2+ years into recovery and praise God that HE is back in the drivers seat … b/c I am literally a mess without Him!
Thank you much for sharing this. I am not familiar with the song you mentioned but will be looking for it on YouTube.
I am one of those control people so it has been a struggle for me to “let go” but God is teaching me and my desire for Him is stronger than my need to control so I am learning to “die to self” so that I can pursue Him.
You are so right, Jen; we do take comfort in being in control. But He is the only One truly in control. Once I (finally) loosen my grasp, I feel light. Relieved. Free.
Thanks for the reminder.
So THRILLED to “see” you HERE!
You are so precious!!
Thanks, Lindsey! I am so thrilled to be over here!
Jen, there a song called, I Lost It All To Gain Everything
I had won all I could win,
There was no place I had not been
But my heart was just so needy and so poor
Then I heard Him gently say
Lose it all and find my way
So I gave it up and found it all and more
CHORUS
I lost it all to find everything
I died a pauper to become a child of the King
When I learned how to lost,
I found out how to win
I lost it all to find everything
I was frantic to survive
I was racing to arrive
And I walked on any standing in my way
Then I watched my schemes all die
And realized that I could find new life
Because the old had died that day
( the reward is worth the risk to lose it all, to abandon yourself for what He has for you..let go of your control and peace will fill your heart, also excitement will follow the peace for when you are at peace He can will you with hope. I am 65 and still must practice this art and I have never been disappointed when I abandon my own way. Great post, great reminder to us all that God wants us to live every moment mastering this art…