Worship is something that should be integral in the life of a believer. It is a gift and a privilege to be able to worship God, to have discovered how wonderful He truly is. So many people are blind to the reality of God and the love He has shown to all of mankind through sending Jesus to bear the penalty for our sins. But through the grace of God we have been brought into the fold and can worship God in the “splendor of His Holiness” as Psalms 96:9 describes.
I think it is important to know the meaning of that phrase. I believe it has a lot to do with the condition of our souls. Before our souls have been cleansed through the blood of Jesus we are unable to enter His presence. God detests sin and those whose hearts are infected by it and so cannot abide us in His presence. And being separated from God is a terrible place to be because He is the source of all light and goodness in the universe.
But praise be to the Lord for His grace, for He has called us to Himself through the passionate pursuit of our souls. He has revealed to us the power of His Son Jesus to grant us a type of relationship with Him we have always needed: an intimate, loving one. Now, we can enter into the very presence of God and discover all His wonders. We can now sing that “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him” (Psalms 28:7).
This joy will never fade away. It is based in our salvation which is eternally secure in Christ Jesus. With that knowledge we too can agree with what is written in Psalms 13:5: “I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.”
There are so many great Christian worship songs that beautifully express the boundless joy we can experience when we remind ourselves how great our God is. We should worship not only on Sundays but throughout the week. If you have not made a habit of it yet, put forth effort to listen to Christian music everyday, whether its through an iPod, the CD player in your car, or even on the radio. We deny ourselves much if we neglect this wellspring of joy that God has provided us to help us through the rigors of this life.
David sums it up best:
“I 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 … LORD, see how my enemies persecute me! Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death, that I may declare your praises in the gates of Daughter Zion, and there rejoice in your salvation” (Psalms 9:1-2, 13-14). We have been rescued from the gates of spiritual death and given eternal life! Praise be to God!
However, true worship goes much further than singing. It involves not only words but action. As the Apostle Paul so eloquently stated, “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). Later in the New Testament, James reiterates that point when he writes “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (James 1:27). Worship should lead us to give concerted effort to ensure we are not being polluted by all the worldly passions and pursuits that can so easily steer us in the wrong direction. The only way to effectively keep ourselves on the straight and narrow is to make a decision at the start of every day to surrender ourselves fully to God.
When we do this, we open ourselves up to be used by God to accomplish great things in this world. In Titus 3:14 it says that “people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order to provide for urgent needs and not live unproductive lives.” There is a no more wasteful life than one spent occupied only with selfish desires. When we look to the needs of others, we can be productive in our service to God and have a meaningful impact on those around us. It can all start from a simple place of being kind and hospitable to others. Learning to do this with a friendly attitude is of the utmost importance. “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling” (1 Peter 4:9).
One verse later, Peter adds to this by saying that “each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms.” We all have talents and abilities we have being blessed with by God and He expects us to use them to benefit those we come into contact with. Being generous with our time is a fantastic place to begin. Maybe someone you know needs help with a particular task you are skilled in doing. Don't hesitate to offer your help. Additionally, be on the lookout for worthy causes that you can donate to, showing God that you are a good steward of the monetary resources He has blessed you with.
Through every sacrifice you make, remember that “God is not unjust. He will not forget your work and the love you have shown for His name as you have ministered to the saints and continue to do so” (Hebrews 6:10 HCSB). Along with assisting fellow Christians, it is absolutely imperative that we share the love of Christ while we provide for the needs of unbelievers. Souls in danger of being eternally separated from God are all around us! Our Lord showers us with an abundance of blessings with the express purpose that we use it in the pursuit of a harvest of souls. Let us not be found wanting when it comes to using what we have to bring others to Christ.
So remember that true heartfelt worship will inevitably cause us to move our hands and feet and improve the lives of people God has placed in our paths. I leave you with this instruction: “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow” (Isaiah 1:17).
(All verses are taken from the New International Version (NIV) unless otherwise specified.)
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