If we’re going to live for God in a godless world, we’re going to need more power than we possess. In our strength, we’ll fail miserably. The pressures to conform and to avoid pain and difficulty will inevitably prove too great.
Fortunately, we have a Father who has all the strength we will ever need. We simply need to remain connected to him, and three habits can help us do that.
We’ve talked about two of these habits, Bible study and prayer. Many of us, even if we make a habit of doing those two things, probably neglect the third, and this third habit is just as vital. If we’re going to successfully, even victoriously, live for God in a godless world, we’re going to need to spend time in worship.
We mentioned worship as part of a regular prayer time, but I have a feeling that many of us speed right through that to get to the important part, the part where we ask God for stuff. Besides, we go to church every week to a “worship service,” isn’t that all the worship we need?
Before we go too far in our discussion, what do I mean by “worship”? Here’s the definition I’m using – worship is our response to God for who he is and for what he’s done.
That’s it. Nothing fancy. Just responding to God for who he is and for what he’s done for you.
Part of that definition is giving thanks. It’s important to pause regularly to look at your life and see what God has done for you. As you read this, sit back for a moment and think about the blessings you’ve received. It’s a long list, isn’t it? How often do we do this? How many times have you sat down and meditated on all of the blessings you’ve received and thanked God for them?
Even if all of those blessings stopped today, and if God never did anything for us the rest of our lives, we’ll still be thanking him for his gift of Jesus. God’s Son died so that we can have a relationship with our Father. That’s how much God loves us, and we can never stop thanking him for that.
In our worship, though, we need to move beyond just thanksgiving. We need to praise God for the almighty God that he is. Worship is acknowledging the awesomeness of an all-powerful, everywhere-present, all-knowing God.
In Exodus 20, before God says don’t murder, don’t steal, don’t dishonor your parents, he says this:
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God…” (Exodus 20:2-5)
It isn’t that God needs our worship, it’s that he wants our worship, and he wants all of our worship. God, and only God, deserves it. He isn’t arrogant or proud when he demands this. God knows, much more than we do, who he is. He knows his worth, and he knows that only he is worthy of our worship.
God also knows that the best thing he can give us is himself. When we worship him, he gives himself to us.
When we fail to worship God, when we don’t have those focused, regular times when we offer God praise, we forget his majesty. We grow numb to the fact that this incredible God loves us more than we can imagine. We take for granted the fact that we can call on God at any time, 24/7, along with billions of other people, all at the same time, and have his undivided attention.
When we don’t worship. we lose sight of the fact that he’s a limitless God who is completely in charge of every single thing happening in his creation. When we fail to worship, God becomes smaller in our eyes, and our problems become bigger.
We desperately need to pause regularly and focus our attention on God and his greatness, offering him the praise he, and he alone, so rightly deserves.
Pause each day to give God praise for his omnipresence, omnipotence, omniscience, love, justice, holiness, kindness, power, presence, grace, and forgiveness, on and on.
Listen to a song or hymn. Sing a song or hymn. Read a Psalm. Sit and ponder and praise God for who he is. Worship him. He deserves that. Not just on Sunday mornings, but every day.
Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done. Sing to him; yes, sing his praises. Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds. Exult in his holy name; rejoice, you who worship the Lord. Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him. (Psalm 105:1-4 NLT)