I find myself on the topic of worship and wondering what it really is. Why is understanding worship important? Why does it matter? Why does it feel like, when I talk about worship, I’m thinking only about sitting in church?
I’ve continued exploring this topic because I honestly believe understanding worship might be one of the most important things we can understand on the face of this earth.
It’s doesn’t seem to be the most popular topic in circles with men. I can’t think of too many times we’ve sat down and talked about worship and what it really is. I can think of many times we’ve talked about what church looks like, different service styles, and how I feel about those. But worship?
Let’s dive in.
I’m in the book of Romans, specifically Romans chapter 12, trying to understand what worship is. I don’t think I’ve found another place that is more descriptive or brings a deeper understanding of worship than the twelfth chapter of Romans.
Here’s what I was learning this morning. From what I understand…
True Worship Is…
Presenting ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice. It is countercultural and freely offered.
True Worship Is Motivated By…
“…all He has done for you…”…that should become the basis of our motivation to do anything and everything.
True Worship Comes From…
A grateful heart. An understanding mind. And a humble posture, before God.
True Worship Connects To…
Your relationship with God. And, your relationship with others.
True Worship Becomes…
A way of living and loving, seen through the dropping of hypocrisy, authentic love, honoring others, serving, peaceful living, patience, confident hope, respecting authority, and really, truly, actually loving our neighbors.
True Worship Truly Trusts…
“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” It’s not “double-minded,” but confident in hope and trust.
Why does understanding any of this really matter?
I think it actually answers two of the biggest questions we can ask as humans:
What is really good?
What does God want from me?
And I feel like the answers to these are found in Micah chapter 6: “No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what He requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”
Here’s something that I’m understanding more and more. True worship includes every part of me: my heart, mind, body, and soul; my emotions, my thoughts, my motives and desires, my intentions, my attitude, and my actions. Every single bit of it is offered or surrendered to something that I worship.
And to me, for worship to be true, it has to be aimed in the right direction. For me, this direction, this someone, is ultimately God. I want every part of me to be refined, transformed, and given to Him. My best worship comes from a genuine heart. One that asks less, “Should I give this to God?” and instead runs to Him and gladly offers it.
And here’s something we might miss. If we follow Jesus, we might wonder what it looks like to be a disciple. When I think about the disciples, I think about them following Jesus, but I often miss the fact that they did more than learn to follow Him. They learned to worship Him.
Jesus asked them for their very hearts. This is huge. There is only One who, because of who He really is, can truly ask us to give Him everything.
Moving Forward
Understanding worship changes how we live. How has your life been shaped by your understanding of worship?
What, or who, do you worship?
We’ve got a lot of choices. Ultimately, I hope this article moves you to stop and reflect today on what you are giving your heart to.
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and for part 1, read here…