What is the first thought that comes to mind when you think of worship? Chances are, you think of singing songs in church. But has it ever occurred to you that the worship of the Lord is much broader than the mere singing of hymns? If it were not, those who were tone-deaf would never have a chance to worship the Lord. Of course, most of my readers should probably already know that worship is more than singing songs. So, moving on ...
Let us take a look at what the Word of God says about worship.
It is to be directed at God only. Exodus 34:14 "For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God"
It is not limited to the confines a building. John 4:24 says "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."
It is something we do with our lives, not merely with our lips. Romans 12:1 says "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service ('acceptable worship', ESV)"
We dedicate ourselves to that which we worship. If we worship God, it must be in spirit and in truth, out of a surrendered heart.
The truth is, there are many who 'worship' God with their lips but not with their lives. Although they may seem blissfully sincere as they passionately sing hymns or worship songs in Church, what comes out of their mouth when they are not in church or in the presence of Christians? One may sing songs passionately enough, but that does not mean He is truly worshipping as our Lord commands.
Hebrews 13:15-16: "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased."
We are to give thanks to God with our lips, for that is indeed a manifestation of worship to God. However, we are also told not to forget to 'do good', that is, practically live our faith.
Romans 6:16: "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?"
By yielding our lives to God, we worship Him. This is true worship. We do not need to have a CCLI license, or a good worship team to worship God. While singing praise to Him is well and good, it is merely a manifestation of worship, not worship itself. We are commanded to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, souls, and minds (Deut. 6:5). That is essence of worship.
So then, here are some things to think on. Do we worship God merely with our lips, or with our lives? Are we pretending to worship him when in reality we worship another god? These are provocative questions, no doubt, but consider them prayerfully.
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