Created To Worship
Isaiah 43:7 says that God created us for His glory. “‘You are my witnesses,’ declares the Lord, ‘and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no God was formed, nor will there be one after me. I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior’” (Isaiah 43:10-11). First Chronicles 16:28-29 says, “Ascribe to the Lord, O families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength, ascribe to the Lord glory due his name. Bring and offering and come before him; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.”
Our worship pleases the Lord. There is real strength when believers bring a corporate offering of praise to God in the church. How wonderful the sense of storming heaven with our praise when we unify in faith. How wonderful when we, the body of Christ, can just be together in His magnificent presence. God’s word encourages believers to continue meeting together, saying, “And let us consider and give attentive, continuous care to watching over one another, studying how we may stir up to love and helpful deeds and noble activities. Not forsaking or neglecting to assemble together as is the habit of some people, but admonishing one another, and all the more as you see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25).
But also we must each worship our King in that secret place, that intimate time, one-on-one, as a lover of Christ. There should be times of worship that only you and the Lord will ever know about. Even if you are part of a worship team, your most glorious moments of worship should be off the platform when you are alone with God.
There is no substitute for time spent alone with God; no substitute for a relationship with Christ. Singing lovely songs about the Lord is fantastic, but it is not enough. To worship is to speak to the Lord with words full of adoration. To worship God is to bow down to Him, to revere Him, and to hold in awe His beauty.
Worship is a verb, defined as “regard with great or extravagant respect, honor, or devotion.” It is an active expression of our love toward God. It is vibrant and visible by our deeds, not only by the words we speak. Worship involves the giving of ourselves totally to the Lord. Worship is neither a ritualistic activity, nor a musical emotion. It embodies and reflects the selfless generosity of Christ. Worship is a movement of our hearts, our thoughts, and our wills toward God’s heart, thoughts, and will.
Worshiping our Savior, Jesus Christ, is fundamental to living a faith-filled, Spirit-led, Christian life.
We can worship the Lord with joyful songs (Psalm 100:2). We can worship God with sacrifices and offerings (Isaiah 19:21). We can even worship God by walking and jumping, as the man did who had been lame but now was healed by the name of Jesus (Acts 3:8-9). But regardless of the method, the act of worship must be in spirit and truth (John 4:24).
We don’t have to be great singers or musicians to worship God. Our worship can be filled with radical demonstrations of praise, and at other times can be very quiet and personal. Neither is better than the other. But we do need to be in a personal relationship with our great God and live with the truth of His greatness reflecting through all we are becoming and all we do.