This morning, I watched the most beautiful synchronization of the body of Christ in action! As our church packed boxes and boxes of food for the hungry, I watched as several ladies wiped sweat from their brow as they carried heavy boxes back and forth, and I enjoyed jumping into the assembly line of men and women distributing the variety of food into each one. Man, those cans of soup got heavy, and I was sore, but it was so much fun!
I watched as each person filled their role with such love and joy. One sang, one preached, several prayed with and hugged each person as they picked up their food. Quite a few stayed behind to clean everything up and prepare God’s house for the worship service over the weekend. I can honestly say that every single person seemed to make their work a true act of worship to God, and that blessed my soul immensely! I saw no selfishness, complaining, or rudeness. Only love!
I have often felt that true worship is more about what is going on in your heart that what you do, but there is a fine line. We can be sweating a storm serving others and working for the church, but if our motives aren’t pure, God is not impressed. We can jump and shout our praises louder than everyone else in the building, but if our hearts are not in tune with the presence of God, it is nothing but a show.
On the other hand, our hearts can be so passionately engaged in the worship service, and we are expressing intense awe and admiration to our Lord, but if we refuse to put legs on our worship, as passionate as it is, it becomes shallow lip service. For example, if we are eager to join in the worship service, but we refuse to obey the Lord in a particular area, or we are stingy with surrendering our lives to Him, then our worship will not be pleasing to Him. Just as “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:17), genuine worship includes some “doing” too. If it is genuine in the heart, it will naturally show on the outside as well.
In the book of Amos, God explains to the Israelites that He cannot stand their hypocrisy of pretending to worship outwardly, but being disobedient and irreverent on the outside. His response may seem shocking, but God refused to accept their worship. He even declared that He hated it. Can you imagine God saying He hates someone’s worship because of their phony-baloney attitudes?
God said to the Israelites in Amos 5:21-23 NLT,
“I hate all your show and pretense—
the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies.
I will not accept your burnt offerings and grain offerings.
I won’t even notice all your choice peace offerings.
Away with your noisy hymns of praise!
I will not listen to the music of your harps.
Perhaps it is more correct to recognize that true worship is about the relationship of heart and action. One without the other is missing something.
For example, when we try to impress others with our works, our sacrifices, or a fake, flamboyant, over-the-top worship that is intended only for the attention of others, then without a pure heart, it has ceased being worship at all. On the other hand, when we fall in love with the emotions of worship but don’t seek to understand whom we are worshiping, or what pleases Him, our worship becomes self-absorbed and shallow, and at some point, it is no longer worship either.
When Jesus spoke with the Samaritan woman at the well, He said, “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.” (John 4:23 NIV).
That verse summarizes the point I have been contemplating in my heart lately. To worship in spirit includes emotions and passion. It is all about the sincerity and love in our hearts toward God. It includes our intentions and gets to the root of authentic reverence toward God. It is the honor and admiration in our hearts that make such expressions as singing, praising, raising hands, dancing, and praying pure offerings of love to our Father. The heart is the foundation of our worship, and anything we do that does not include this spirit of worship is incomplete.
On the other hand, we cannot forsake the second part of what Jesus said about worshiping in truth as well. We must move beyond mere emotions and add some depth and substance to our worship. When we feed the hungry, visit the imprisoned, clean the church, spend time with the elderly, teach children, write encouraging letters to the downhearted, and invest our time in the Word of God to learn all we can about Him, and we do these things with a heart of love and sincerity, these become beautiful expressions of worship to God as well. Yet, without the heart, these actions merely become dead works.
Do you see how these work together? We need both sides of the coin! I believe it all boils down to the greatest command:
Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength! (Mark 12:30)
Express that love with your emotions, your praise, your adortion, your singing, your words, your prayers, and with physical expressions, such as raising hands, clapping, kneeling, lying prostrate on the floor, or dancing! However, just make sure it comes from a sincere heart that truly honors and reveres God. Make Him the focus.
Get into God’s Word and learn all you can about Him and what pleases Him. That is the truth part! Then, put your love into action! Everything you do can be an act of worship if your heart is in the right place. Offer yourself, your entire life to God in worship. Go serve, obey, give, remove sin from your life, work hard, learn, and invest your time and talents to further His Kingdom. Let us give Him glory in everything we do!
I think of Isaiah when he saw God on His throne, and He was so in awe of Him. The angels surrounded His throne singing, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” (Isaiah 6:3)
We have an advantage over Isaiah. We don’t just have a quick glimpse of God at one time, but we have His presence with us at all times! His Spirit dwells within us. Therefore, let us be ever mindful of His presence and make our lives a continuous expression of worship to Him. He is so worthy!
Paul exhorted us to live such a lifestyle in Romans 12:1, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”
We praise You, Lord, and we lift up Your name! We worship You in the beauty of holiness! May our lives be an offering of worship to You! In Jesus’ name, Amen!
God bless you all!
Here are some more reminders in Scripture:
Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart… Hebrews 10:22a NIV
Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness;
tremble before him, all the earth. Psalm 96:9 NIVI will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart;
I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
I will be glad and rejoice in you;
I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High. Psalm 9:1-2 NIVCome, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. Psalm 95:6 NIVAscribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness. Psalm 29:2 NIVTherefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Romans 12:1 NIV
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17 NIV
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. Colossians 3:23 NIV
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV
The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth
and honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship of me
is based on merely human rules they have been taught. Isaiah 29:13 NIVLet everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Psalm 150:6 NIV
