A Life Of Worship

The longer I lead worship, the more I realize just how much of an incomplete idea we have of what it means to worship God.

I don’t believe that worship occurs solely in a moment in time but is more of a lifelong pursuit of God and glorifying His name in all we do and say. It's not just singing songs on a Sunday morning but is moment by moment obedience to God. Jesus said that all the law and the prophets were summed up in two laws, one of which is to, “love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength.” This is at the very core of what it means to worship God. The Lord desires that I worship him not just at specific times in specific places, although it is important that I do this, but that my whole life would be devoted to him.

Here are some definitions that have helped me understand worship better:

To love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength is to completely devote our lives to Him and, in so doing, consider every thought and action to be to the glory of God, (cf. 1 Cor.10:31; Col. 3:23)

“Worship is a posture of life that takes as its primary purpose the understanding of what it really means to love and revere God.” (Ravi Zacharias, Jesus Among Other Gods, Pg.91)

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your might.” (Deuteronomy 6v5)

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship” (Romans12v1)

“ The complete devotion of our lives to God while considering every thought and action, through submission to the Holy Spirit, to be done to the glory of God, (cf. 1 Cor.10: 31; Col. 3:23)

The way I think about worship will affect how I worship. Sometimes, I think Sunday morning is the only time we worship God. Why? The answer lies in what we think it means to worship God.

The greatest switch that ever took place in the history of the universe was when a holy God chose to make human beings His dwelling place. Since I am a ‘temple of the Holy Spirit’ (1 Corinthians 6:19), worship can and must move beyond time and place. Worship is grounded solidly in real life and begins and ends with my daily life where attitude is crucial (see Philippians 2vs5-11).

The degree to which I carry out my daily activities with a heart of gratitude (1 Cor. 10:31) and thankfulness towards God will determine the depth of my worship on a daily basis which will, in turn, greatly impact my weekly gathering with the body when I can offer my week – my life, to God in worship.

Which areas of your life could you consider as acts of worship?