I’m afraid that many Christians misunderstand the meaning of worship. The normal thought is that worship is singing to the Lord with adoration and thanksgiving. That can indeed be a part of what worship is, but it is far from a complete definition of worship.
We have a strong hint of the heart of worship by tracking down the first time the word is seen in Scripture. In Genesis 22:5 we see that Abraham said that he and the lad (Isaac) would “go yonder and worship”. Abraham linked sacrifice with worship. Did not Paul likewise tell us in Romans 12:1 that to present our bodies unto the Lord was our “reasonable service of worship”?
Another common error is to fix worship to a building. You hear people say that “I worship the Lord at this location.” In part this is true, but it certainly falls short of God’s definition. The Bible talks about worshipping in ignorance, in vain, and in useless traditions. None of these “devotional exercises” please God. To be a true worshipper of God one must be saved through Jesus Christ and experience that “purging” from the penalty of sin once and for all. (Read Hebrews 10:1-18.)
As an overflow of thanksgiving, because of God’s gracious provision, our life itself then becomes one continual act of worship, and whatsoever we do is in Christ’s Name. As temples of the Holy Ghost, we now realize that our entire lives are “in the Lord”. That is precisely what worship is – giving of ourselves first unto the Lord, with the subsequent result being “changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
Did it ever occur to you that to some degree you are worshipping the Lord on your job – whatever or wherever it is – and in your giving to His work? “For in Him we live and move and have our being.” Therefore, living to bring Him glory is living with an attitude of worship. Everywhere is God’s sanctuary. The playground, office, and shopping mall are His mission fields, and you and I as followers of Jesus are sent to worship Him in these places! So you can see how serving the Lord in all that you do is really worship at its finest.
The Father is looking for the true worshippers, those who come to God “in spirit and in truth.” How does one do this? Through Jesus Christ, whose worshipful sacrifice on Calvary and exemplary life constitute the entire meaning and purpose for existence.
Worship God today!
