Worship
by Margaret D. Mitchell
Week of July 29, 2012
“And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, "’Let all God's angels worship him.’" - Hebrews 1:6
Everyone searches for significance. If we are not taught any better, our priorities get out of alignment with God’s will as we affix ourselves to sex, money, power, spouses, children, angels, etc. But all is fleeting except the one true God. Children grow up. Spouses pass on. But God is the only person who is constantly with us. He goes before us, never leaves us and doesn’t forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:8).
Who (or what) is your God?
Both Moses and Joshua had to ask this rhetorical question to the Israelites. "But if you refuse to serve the LORD,” Joshua asks, “then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD."
Who (or what) is your God?
Some people choose angels. But Matthew Henry’s Commentary tells us, "The most exalted angels are but ministering spirits, mere servants of Christ, to execute His commands. The saints, at present, are heirs, not yet come into possession. The angels minister to them in opposing the malice and power of evil spirits, in protecting and keeping their bodies, instructing and comforting their souls, under Christ and the Holy Ghost." Angels are not to be worshipped. Although powerful and divinely appointed, they are not even redeemed when they sin. Rather, they fall into the enemy’s camp and serve the evil one.
So who (or what) is your God?
It is important to let go of everything that is not of the Lord. Survey your heart; then ask the Holy Spirit to survey your heart. Choose to release everything that has been holding you back from serving Him fully. Lay it all at the foot of the cross, and choose to trust Almighty God to take care of those things (and people) for you. Do you trust Him enough to fully surrender what you value most to Him? Do you believe that He is for you, that He has your back, that He loves you beyond measure, that He has a plan for you, that He sees and knows all things?
What (or who) do you wrap your life around?
If we hold onto unforgiveness or other sins, we choose, by default, to limit God in our lives and make that unforgivensss or sin a god.
Worship involves the attitude of the heart. Praise involves the action of a worshipful heart. The two work in tandem. Whatever is inside will pour out. Gratitude, thanksgiving, joy, even longing for more of God are facets of a worshipful heart. When you love God, you can’t help but worship Him, and corresponding praises will come out in many forms, not just singing. David danced. What has God done for you lately that would cause you to do a happy dance? I know of a woman who arranges flowers beautifully. She believes this expression of her gift to be an act of praise unto the Lord. What are your gifts? Do you use them to honor the Lord? Even work is a form of worship when we work unto the Lord. Colossians 3:23 tells us, "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men."
Worship doesn’t have to end on Sunday morning. Carry it with you to work and watch the atmosphere of your workplace change. And at the end of the day, the best way I know to transition from work to home is to praise God on the drive home. By the time you arrive, the issues of the day will seem much smaller, and your evenings will be more peaceful.
Putting God first in every area of our lives honors Him and blesses us. I encourage you to keep Jesus the Lord of every area of your life. Do it joyfully. Ask Him to renew your heart and mind. Ask Him to show you new ways to worship and praise Him. You’ll be glad you did.
Margaret D. Mitchell is the Founder of God's Love at Work, a marketplace outreach purposed to share God's greatest power source - the love of Christ.
Originally published Sunday, 28 July 2013.
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