Worshipping God with a song is a wonderful experience for ourselves, the angels, and most importantly for God. It can lift our spirits and, as mentioned in Psalm 22:3, welcomes the very presence of God into the room with us! However, there is more to worship than music. True worship has to do with the position of your heart. It is a lifestyle of submission to God.
Here are the two of the original Biblical words for worship in Hebrew and Greek:
Worship in the OT: H7812- Shachah- to bow down.
Worship in the NT: G4352- Proskyneo- To kiss the hand in reverence, Kneeling or prostrating in order to express respect
These words show us that worship is an action. Worshipping with our actions, in daily life, is when we willfully submit ourselves to God and lay down our own agendas and pride to pursue His plans. This is a decision that we make day to day, over and over again. It’s a lifestyle of prioritizing God over self. Let’s take a look at what Jesus said in Matthew 25:31-46.
“But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’ “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’ “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’ “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”
That’s heavy…. Let’s take a minute and unpack it. Sheep, by nature, are submissive and obedient to their masters, as Christians should intend to be towards God. God’s people, compared here to sheep, were saved according to their obedience. They are called righteous. The sheep had a heart postured toward God, bowed to Him in submission. These “sheep” are true worshippers of God. They are willing to live to do God’s will here on earth. They’re not living to serve themselves, but to serve their King.
In comparison, goats are stubborn by nature. Those who selfishly followed their own ways, the people compared to goats, are condemned for their disobedience. But the goats had selfish motives and a lack of reverence for God. These “goats” are people who confidently pursue their own desires, only to be condemned for their rebellion against God Almighty in the end. They refuse to bow their will and admit God’s ways are better than their own. Read these words of Paul:
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.
Romans 12:1
Biblical worship is an act of humility, an acknowledgement that God is God over all the earth, including ourselves. If you want to gage your obedience, here are some questions you can ask yourself: “When I face hard times do I handle them with my natural reactions, or do I pause to reflect on God’s word, being slow to speak and slow to anger? Do I consider His instructions to me on how to handle conflict and temptation before I take action? Am I being mindful to give to those I see in need?”
Choosing to live like this requires death to self. It requires life in Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit. We must live for His purposes, patiently and obediently responding to each person and situation as we’ve been instructed to in the Bible. Dying to self and living for Christ is the true worship that will please God.
We want to store up treasure in Heaven and receive favor from God. Life on this earth is fleeting. It isn’t worth holding onto our money, our reputation, or anything else in exchange for the glory of the Kingdom of God. Living a life of true worship and obedience is a small price to pay for the Kingdom.
We encourage you to take a minute of your time and think of a practical way to apply what you’ve just read. Can you think of anyone who has something against you? Maybe it’s time to reach out and try to make peace. Do you know any single moms? They usually appreciate extra cash, gift cards, gifts for the children, etc. Do you drive past any homeless folks? Consider taking some time to talk to them and understand their story and their needs. And consider giving them a few bucks too! Even small amounts add up by the end of the day and can do a lot to help.
Do you have some more suggestions or a relative story to tell? Drop it in the comment box below! We’d love to hear from you!