The Joy and Privilege of Worship: Surrendering Our Hearts to God
Worship is an act of offering ourselves to God in reverence, adoration, and thanksgiving. We have a joyous privilege as God’s children to worship. However, we can lose sight of that when our preferences emerge. How can we elevate our worship and surrender our hearts?
What is Worship?
Worship is offering our whole selves to God in reverence, adoration, and thanksgiving. It expresses our love for God and our desire to glorify Him in all we do. Worship involves both our inward attitudes and outward expressions, and it can take many different forms, such as singing, prayer, giving, and serving.
Traditionally, churches have met on Sundays as a time when we gather together to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and to be strengthened and encouraged in our faith. However, worship shouldn’t be limited to one day of the week; it’s a way of life.
Worship is a calling to continually offer ourselves to God in everything we say and do. The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:31 that we should do all things for the glory of God. Therefore, all aspects of our life can be an act of worship if done with a heart devoted to God.
”Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” Psalm 100:2
Worship is not just a duty or obligation but a joyous privilege we have as God’s children. As we worship Him with a heart full of joy and gladness, we are transformed by His presence and empowered to live for His glory. As we offer ourselves to Him in worship, we are drawn closer to Him and filled with His power and love.
However, as humans, we naturally seek satisfaction and pleasure. We often seek experiences that make us feel good, uplifted and fulfilled. When it comes to worship, our perspective should be different. How can we actively engage in worship?
How To Engage in Active Worship
1) Worship Is About God
The Bible says in Psalm 34:3, “Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!” We are called to magnify God, to make Him more significant in our lives, and to exalt His name. Worship is the opportunity to shift our focus on Him and His greatness rather than ourselves.
Similarly, in Psalm 96:8, the psalmist urges us to “ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name” and to “bring an offering, and come into his courts!” Worship is not about what you can get from it that makes you feel good.
Instead, worship maneuvers our hearts into a posture of gratitude. Despite whatever ordeals or disruptions may be occurring in your life, worship is a moment to recognize the goodness of God. Even the most destitute and contrite heart has many reasons to shout glory to God.
When we approach worship intending to magnify God’s greatness, we recognize that He is the one who deserves our worship and praise, and we seek to honor Him in everything we do. This requires us to set aside our desires and preferences and submit ourselves to His will.
In Matthew 22:37, Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.” When we love God this way, we can worship Him in spirit and truth, with a pure heart and the right motive.
2) Worship is Active
“I appeal to you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” Romans 12:1
Worship is not about what we consume but about what we offer. As believers, we’re called to present ourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is our spiritual worship.
Spiritual worship is the idea that worship is not merely a matter of outward forms and rituals but of inward devotion and commitment. In other words, true worship is not just about singing songs, attending church services, or performing religious ceremonies; it is a way of life that encompasses every aspect of our being.
The phrase “spiritual worship” can also be translated as “reasonable service” or “rational worship.” This suggests that worship is not an irrational or emotional experience but a deliberate act of the mind and will.
The Greek word for “reasonable” is logikos, from which we get the English word “logical.” Thus, worship is not a blind or mindless devotion but a rational response to God’s grace and goodness. It involves using our intellect, emotions, and will to honor and glorify God in everything we do.
3) Worship is Not Consumerism
Jesus: “But the hour is coming, and is now here when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:23-24
In today’s consumer-driven culture, we often approach worship with the mindset of a consumer. We seek a worship experience that meets our preferences, satisfies our needs, and entertains us. However, the Bible teaches us that worship is not a time to be a consumer but a time to set aside our preferences and focus on God because, ultimately, worship is not about us but God.
When we approach worship as consumers, we limit our ability to engage with God fully. We focus on our desires and preferences rather than God’s will and purpose. As a result, we may miss out on God’s blessings because we are too busy seeking our satisfaction.
“Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him! Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.” 1 Chronicles 16:29
If we approach worship with the mindset of consuming, we’ve missed the point entirely. Worship is not a product we consume but an offering we give. Therefore, we should not be concerned with how we feel or are satisfied but with how God is glorified.
When we set aside our preferences and focus on God, we can fully engage with Him and others in worship. We can experience the richness and beauty of true worship and be transformed by His presence.
4) Worship Is About Our Heart Condition
While it is true that worship can be a powerful and transformative experience, we must be careful not to approach it with the expectation of simply feeling good. It is not a means to an end but an end in itself. Our objective in worship should not be to enter a service so that we can walk out feeling better but to enter into God’s presence and offer Him our worship and praise.
The ultimate goal of worship is to glorify God. Therefore, believers should be more concerned with how God is pleased and honored through our worship than with our satisfaction. When we worship with this mindset, we experience the movement of His empowering grace in our lives as a natural part of the rhythm of what we were designed for.
THE LORD:” This people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me.” Isaiah 29:13
This verse reminds us that worship is not just about the outward expressions of worship but about the condition of our hearts. We must do more than go through the worship motions and expect a meaningful experience. We must come before God with a humble and contrite heart, ready to offer Him our whole selves in worship.
TL;DR
What is Worship?
The act of offering our whole selves to God in reverence, adoration, and thanksgiving.
It’s not just a duty or obligation but a joyous privilege we have as God’s children.
It maneuvers our hearts into a posture of gratitude.
It’s not about what we consume but about what we offer.
It’s not a means to an end but an end in itself.
