To do what is right and just
    is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.  
Proverbs 21:3

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I’ve never thought of myself as a sentimental person—I don’t  get gushy over capturing every memory through photographic evidence (I usually snap one for Instagram and call it good enough) or need to say every heartfelt thing that comes through my mind (though I do love dropping a surprise note in the mail now and then). There aren’t many photos in my house, and I don’t keep every single picture my kids have drawn for me. Flashy or expensive gifts rarely wow me (my husband has given me exactly three pieces of jewelry in our 15 years together—a situation I actually appreciate). 

Every single moment, every single thing, cannot all possibly carry significance. I can’t assume that every item that comes my way is worthy of treasuring. That doesn’t mean I embrace a minimalist aesthetic or experience the world as a cold place, unworthy of capturing memories. In fact, if you came into my office, or looked in my nightstand, or bookshelf, you might actually think “Wow, this woman sure does love tchotchkes!”

I have come to discover that my favorite things are those that are, to the world, fairly insignificant, but carry a meaning to me that anchors my heart in story: the Pez dispensers from my sister who lives 3,500 miles away, a bracelet from a market in El Salvador (part of a matching set shared by the group), a tiny shell from the Mediterranean Sea, and a painting of a flower from an eighth grader from my student ministry days.

Just like my own personal disinterest in flashy, impersonal gifts, God calls us to worship in ways that carry significance. The prophet Isaiah begins his plea with the nation of Judah to stop offering meaningless sacrifices (Isaiah 1). Similarly, Jeremiah warns the people against false religion marked with religiosity without a heart of true worship (Jeremiah 7). 

God doesn’t need our big acts of grandeur, or want us to “check the box” of spiritual ritual in the name of blind, empty obedience. Instead, God calls us to act out of the overflow of our hearts—big and small moments in our lives that carry weight and meaning in our relationship with the Lord. For some it may be a large offering, for others a small mite is a practice of sacrificial generosity. A one-sentence prayer for peace or gratitude from the car seat to the driver’s seat may be a holy petition or act of worship while a wordy, eloquent prayer may offer no authenticity. Patience in the line at the grocery store can matter more than the flashy fundraiser. Every heartfelt act of worship–large or small–is a fragrant offering to the Lord. 

Next Steps

Reflect on your spiritual practices. Which ones are you doing because you want to impress God or others? Which ones stretch your faith or are genuine responses of worship? Don’t be afraid to shake up your spiritual rhythms in the name of authentic response to the Lord.