Radiate: 14 Devotions to Reflect the Heart of JesusSample

A Life of Worship

Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; worship the LORD in the splendor of His holiness. PSALM 29:2 NIV

We usually think of music when the word worship is mentioned. Hands raised, voices singing, giving praise to Jesus. And while this picture is not incorrect, it is merely one form of our worship. However, our worship is far more about the object of our praise, the King of kings, than it is about the avenue or portal in which we express it.

Worshiping God is possible through music, prayer, adventure, skill, sacrifice, and many other things that consume our time. It is the sign of a responsive heart to a loving Father. When we realize the depravity of our sin, understand the depths of His grace, and experience His daily decision to pursue us and use us, it is impossible not to worship. It is in this revelation that our entire lives become worship; we remain in constant awe of the fact that the King of kings chose us, uses us, and loves us despite ourselves.

The hard thing about worship is that we often get so caught up in how it looks or in how we look that our attention transitions to a self-focused performance or ritual. But our God is not impressed with how a prayer sounds, how well we sing, or what we create if we are not allowing Him to intimately speak to our hearts in the process. But when we allow Him to get close, Spirit to spirit, and fully immerse ourselves in the power and beauty of our Savior, our spirit can’t help but shine.

Our Sunday experiences are a part of worship, but they are certainly not all of it. Worship involves our thoughts, words, and actions on a daily basis—both at home and in our workplace. The way we live every part of our lives reveals whether we have come to understand this lifestyle of worship. Jesus did not ask for a slot on our schedule; He invites us to surrender it all and taste the richness of living hope in our everyday, mundane, trivial, and seemingly unimportant tasks. He desires us to perpetually open ourselves to His loving hands because we trust His heart.

Many times, our pursuit of a more Spirit-filled life is focused far too much on what we are doing to please Him. Rather, if we would wholly give ourselves to rightly seeing Him, our actions would have no choice but to follow. While spiritual disciplines are certainly a necessity, Jesus wants our worship because He wants us to fall in love with Him. And when we fall in love with Him, life will turn to color as He makes His presence known everywhere we go.

Hey Jesus, thank You for everything that You are, everything that You do, and everything that You give. Help me rid myself of me so that I can fully worship You. Great is Your faithfulness. In Jesus’ name, amen.