The Vineنموونە

Worship

Humans are hardwired for worship. We can’t help it. Every person—whatever their culture, beliefs, or status—devotes their time, attention, and affection to something. And on a base level, that is what worship is. Worship is testifying with your mind, heart, and mouth that something or someone is of value. You behold with a sense of wonder that which is worthy of being elevated above others.

Christians are unique in their worship of God for many reasons, but we’ll look at two. First, it’s an act of worship to offer all of who you are in gratitude and service to God. Paul suggested this to the church in Rome when he instructed them to, “offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God [because] this is your spiritual act of worship” (Romans 12:1). Paul is saying that in response to God’s mercy and generosity towards us, He is worthy of everything we could offer. It’s a worshipful act to offer our hands for service, our heart for desiring what Christ wants, our mouths for proclaiming the gospel, and our ears for listening to others.

Second, Christians are unique in how they worship God together. Looking at Acts 2:42-47, we read that the first believers regularly spent time together “praising God.” This communal rhythm of gathering to share how we have been “filled with awe” (verse 43) by what God has done forms and orients us toward God and His kingdom. Worship unites God’s people in remembering who God is and what He has saved us for.

Spend a few moments asking yourself what parts of yourself you may be holding back from full worship of God. Is it hard to let go of what you want to do with your mind and body? Think about your time worshipping with other believers. How has God used that experience to encourage your faith and strengthen your Christian relationships?

Prayer

“God, I know You are worthy of everything I could possibly give You. Help me offer what I want to hold onto. Thank you for being a God who truly deserves all praise and glory.”

Explore at your speed

It’s usually easier to worship God when everything in life is going well. But what about when life gets difficult, or even frightening? Read Acts 16:16-28 and consider what Paul and Silas did when they were in prison. Think about why they chose to worship in that situation. What effect did that have on their own hearts and on those who could hear them?