Worship is one of the foundations that the Christian life is built upon. Worship is much more than the singing portion of a church service, it flows into every part of life. When worship is done right, there are various areas of life in which it serves. We will be looking into those areas in the following posts, but it is necessary to build the foundation that God is always the focus of our worship. 

Made to Worship

“For even though they knew God [as the Creator], they did not honor Him as God or give thanks [for His wondrous creation]. On the contrary, they became worthless in their thinking [godless, with pointless reasonings, and silly speculations], and their foolish heart was darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools,” Romans 1:21-22

“O sing to the Lord a new song; Sing to the Lord, all the earth!” Psalms 96:1

Maybe the most important part of worship is that everyone does it whether they know it or not. Some people have a misconception that worship is a choice to be made, something that can be turned off and on. God made people to be worshippers, whether that is directed as intended or not, it remains true. Worship is not something we go in or out of, it is not confined to a portion of a church service. Worship is constantly happening in everyday life. To worship is to adore or to give worth. Our hearts are always adoring something or someone whether that be a person, a phone, or just the feeling of comfort. If what you put worth into is anything or anyone besides God, you are worshipping an idol. Now, maybe you don’t worship through singing, but there lies a separate issue. God commands singing worship. Worship is not for you, it is a time for you to lift up and adore God, it is not a time for you to be served but to serve. Do not stand idle when there is a chance to worship the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I understand there are times when it is hard to sing due to trials, which I will be talking about in a future post. However, if it is simply that you don’t want to sing, you need to repent. Remind yourself of all that God has done for you. Worship will never repay the debt we owe, but it is the only right response.

God Alone

“The twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and they worship Him who lives forever and ever; and they throw down their crowns before the throne, saying, “Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they exist, and were created and brought into being.” Revelation 4:10-11

Knowing that we will worship something, it is important that we only worship God. He is the only One worthy of worship. God has proved time and time again that He is worthy of our worship. Look to the stories found in the Bible or your life, and you will find many times that prove His worthiness. God has done too much to not receive all of our worship. In Revelation, we see images of the worship taking place in Heaven. All the angels and eldercontinually, day and night, fall down in worship for eternity. They are seeing the full magnitude of God and can’t do anything but fall to their knees in worship. Do not wait for Heaven to join in the song lifting His name. We can be a part of the heavenly choir right now: do not waste that gift.

God, Not Man

“Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name give glory because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth and faithfulness.” Psalm 115:1

One of the biggest stumbling blocks in worship, is pride. Worship can shift from being centered around God to being centered on man. This can be done in two ways, either it is a lifting of self or lifting up of others to a place they do not deserve. Concerning the lifting of self, there is a temptation to think worship is a time for us. When that happens the concern is more on what songs we sing and how we enjoyed it, when we should be concerned with how God was lifted. I said this before, but worship is not a time to be served, but to serve. Worship is a time to lower yourself and lift God. We can also be tempted to lift others in worship. This is too often the case in the Christian music industry. It has hMappened many times that a Christian artist gets elevated beyond God, whether it is on purpose or not. We should celebrate those who share worship songs that bring us to the throne room, but it must be done in gratitude to God. Do not mistake that simply because people are on a stage, that they are being the object of our worship. When we see those who use worship music for their own benefit, we should lovingly call them out and not listen to them. There are plenty great worship artists who keep the focus clearly on God, find and listen to them. Listen to music that brings you closer to God, not the music that twists God’s gift of worship. Keep your eyes on God and your worship will follow.