Understanding the meaning of worship can lead us to realize that all of life should be an act of worship and why worship is even important to the Creator of all things...
Really!
Our entire life is designed to be a continuous act of worship to our God.
But how can we actually live this out? And why would it even matter to Him? Does God NEED our worship?
These are some of the questions I hope to clarify for you here.
The Meaning of Worship
Let's start with the definition of worship.
Webster's defines WORSHIP as the following: "reverence offered a divine being or supernatural power; an act of expressing such reverence.
There are two key components - 1) reverence for God, and 2) expression of reverence through acts.
Both of these components are critical for understanding the application and purpose of worship in our daily lives.
Application of Worship
In the Church today, worship has been heavily assigned to the music ministry. Certainly, musical expression is one way we can worship.
The problem with labeling the music ministries as "worship" is that we tend to exclude all the other possible acts of worship.
We can see in the definition above that worship can be a much more expansive list of "acts" than simply singing or musical expression.
Rather, a better way to think about worship is ANY expression that is done with a specific attitude - reverence for God.
That's it!
It's really that simple. Any activity or action with its roots in an attitude of honor towards God is an act of worship.
When we understand that principle, we can quickly understand how all of life can be an act of worship to our Lord.
But how good are we at living out a life of worship to the Lord?
How well do we worship while we drive from one place to another... while we shop for groceries... while we interact with our families and our co-workers?
Therein lies the challenge for each of us during our daily routines - how can we make sure we are living a lifestyle of worship that is continuous.
Purpose of Worship
So why should we even WANT to live a life of worship?
Does God NEED our worship?
Of course, the simple answer is "NO," as God is fully complete and sufficient.
So what is the purpose of worship?
Ultimately, the purpose of worship is to make sure that OUR hearts and minds are rightly centered on the Lord.
When we recognize that life and all its details are given as gifts from God, we are humbled. When we realize that all His gifts to us are given out of grace despite our sin, we are radically grateful.
Out of a posture of humilty and gratitude, we place ourselves in the appropriate posture next to the Lord. It is our attitude towards God that pleases Him even as it becomes our engine for living righteously.
Conclusion
Today we have examined the importance and motivation for choosing to live a lifestyle of worship to our God.
Now we understand that worship is essential in our relationship with God. We also understand that it is a continuous attitude and expression of many individual acts performed out of a spirit of awe and respect for God.
We have noted that worship is essential to our relationship with God as it sets our hearts and minds in the right place with God.
Please share how you live a lifestyle of worship in the comments section below...
