WORSHIP

I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship (Romans 12:1).

Not all we call worship is worship. There are instances when people seem to be worshipping but no worship is occurring at all. Arriving at true worship is a little like baking a cake; all the ingredients must be included if it is going to be good.

The most important ingredient in good worship is truth. Worship that is rooted in myth and superstition, even though it is given with great reverence, emotion and sincerity, is not pleasing to God.

Though sincerity cannot stand alone as the validating quality of worship, it must accompany truth if worship is to be pleasing to God. Worship that honors God with the lips while the heart is far from Him is hypocrisy.

A healthy amount of service must be stirred in with sincerity and truth to have genuine worship. Simply being obedient to God's will because of one's faith in Him is worship at its best.

Of course, love is the frosting on the cake, enhancing all the ingredients so that they "taste" better. Can there be any worshipping the God who is love without love?

Changing the baby's diapers is worship because God wants us to care for our children. Doing a good job on the job is worship because it is God's will that His people do good work, as well as to earn money to with which to support our families and the less fortunate. Worship is also gathering with God's people to praise Him and His Son, Jesus--this must not be neglected anymore than the other forms of worship.

Worship is not confined to one hour on one day a week, but it is a whole life lived in humble obedience to God.

Grace&Peace,
Tom