Man was made to worship
LIFESTYLE OF WORSHIP – PART 1
WORSHIP, ACCORDING to the Cambridge Dictionary, is, “to have or show a strong feeling of respect and admiration for God or a god; the act of worshipping God or a god, often through praying or singing”. Wikipedia adds that “an act of worship may be performed individually, in an informal or formal group, or by a designated leader. Such acts involve honouring and it may take several different forms.” Worship, for the believer in Jesus Christ, is central to our faith.
God – the one true Almighty God – is to be worshipped, and He desires and requires true worship. When we come into a relationship with Him, we are to worship Him, as it is critical to us getting to know God more. It is a process or experience that reveals Him to us, and so it is important for us to understand what it is and what it is about.
It doesn’t stop there, worship is also a powerful activity. It is through worship that Jehoshaphat defeated his enemies when three armies were attacking Israel in 2 Chronicles 20. Worship releases the power of God and we use it to fight our battles.
On another occasion, Jehoshaphat needed to know God’s direction and called for Elisha. Elisha used worship to create the atmosphere to hear from God. Worship makes us receptive to God’s voice, and creates the atmosphere for the move of God for healing, deliverance, victory, and insight.
Worship is not just another theological subject, but it is critical to our walk as Christians to find out what true worship is and how to engage it. Proper worship is critical to who we are.
Humanity was created to worship. We know from the Bible that we are different from the rest of creation in that we are created in God’s image and with great intentionality and forethought. We have the ability to reason and think complex thoughts and we have the ability to worship God in ways that none of His other creatures can.
As a matter of fact, we see in the book of Revelation that life in the here and now is in preparation for an eternity of worship. The English word worship comes from the word ‘worth’. Biblical worship is a full-life response that involves the head, heart, and hands lifted to who God is and what He has done. It is to accord God (the only one worthy of worship) proper recognition of His greatness and value or worth. It is the total adoration of God by man. Worship is to bring glory to God, and our task for eternity is to worship God.
Revelation 4:9-11 (NIV) states: “Whenever the living creatures give glory, honour and thanks to Him who sits on the throne and Who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and worship Him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” The King James Version ends with: “… for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”
We were created to live in constant communion with God; we were created for worship.
Next week, we will continue to discuss God’s instructions concerning worship and how it can become a lifestyle for us.