(This post first appeared on the blog Perspectives of a Preacher’s Wife.)

We go to worship regularly. As the preacher’s family, we’re always there. Bible classes, devotionals, special series, week-long meetings, seminars – we’re there. It’s a priority. But this year, I don’t want to just make “being there” the priority, I want to make engaging in worship the priority. I want to make worship about what I do, not where I go on Sundays.

My two-year-old has inspired me in this area, because she says things that are much more profound than she intends for them to be. For example, one of her great friends at church is a song leader (one of many at our congregation). Every week, she looks at me and asks, “Gary praise the Lord?” She doesn’t ask if he’s leading singing or if he’s singing her favorite song, she asks if he’s going to lead us in praising the Lord. Sadly, shamefully, her focus is better than mine.

Too often, I’m bent out of shape about this or that regarding worship. Maybe I’m dreading how little of the sermon I’ll actually hear between the wrangling and the shushing. Maybe the song leader didn’t sing my favorite song, or – gasp- led it incorrectly. Maybe someone’s phone went off and it left me perturbed. Maybe I was too focused on what I wasn’t getting to do (have an entirely quiet and reflective Lord’s Supper) instead of keeping my mind right when it was possible.

This year, I want to be better. I want to reprioritize worship in my life – not the going, but the doing. I want to go to worship with the intent of praising the Lord. I want to fully engage my heart in worship each and every week. I want to stop focusing on the worldly, stop focusing on the people aspect, stop focusing on my motherhood aspect, and start fully engaging in praise to the One who made the universe and the only One worthy of worship.

Are there going to be distractions in worship? Yes. People are worshiping, after all. But I am ready to stop allowing those distractions to become excuses as to why I am not worshiping my Creator like I should; like He deserves.

This year, this brand new year ahead of us, can be a good one. It can be a great one. It will be great if we will fully engage our hearts and minds in worship. I’m committed to reprioritizing worship this year. Will you join me?