Worship

I believe we have a misconception today as to the substance of worship. We have a tendency to place it in a box called "praise and worship," or, if you will, our music. And, often, in how we feel during the singing of the music. Such a viewpoint puts us in great danger. First, because it's a much too narrow definition of worship. Worship is the offering of sacrifices to God from an obedient heart. And the New Testament gives us at least three sacrifices we are to give Him as a sweet aroma of devotion to Him. And yes, one of them is the sacrifice of our lips lifting songs of praise to Him. Such an act is dynamic because it pleases Him and instructs and encourages others, not to mention how it speaks to our hearts. But true worship in song is dependent on the heart attitude I bring to the "altar" and not merely the feeling I get from singing. I'm afraid that at times the feeling I get from singing is entertainment based, not adoration driven, not worship. The prophet Amos told the children of Israel that they had become so absorbed in a culture of music--music that they claimed was just like the songs of David--that they had become so absorbed in that "spiritual" music, that they had drifted too far away from God to even be brought to repentance--to even be restored to a relationship with Him. Their psalms and all the emotions they felt while singing them were not drawing them closer to God but instead seriously undermining their relationship with Him. For if I bring the right heart attitude to a church service, the type of music is irrelevant. Any song can be a sacrifice of praise from a heart of devotion. But if I don't bring a heart of worship with me, if I come to get that "worship feeling," it's the music I love not Him. I want to do something that appeals to me, that pleases me, and not something that pleases His heart.
A second sacrifice God wants from me is the sacrifice of my stuff. He wants me to worship Him with my money. And it matters not at all how much of it I have. Again, it is not how much I give but the heart behind the giving. A widow's mite can be a greater act of worship than a millionaire's giving of his thousands. And a millionaire's giving of His thousands can be a greater act of worship than a widow's mite. It all depends on the devotion to God behind the giving. If I worship God in order to impress men with the extent of my giving, I'm really worshiping myself. If I worship God in expectation that He must then give back to me, I'm again really worshiping myself and my needs--and wants. It's not a sacrifice of adoration I'm giving Him but an "investment" in my desires. The heart of adoration goes to a church service with the same attitude as the churches of Macedonia. "I can't wait until they take the offering! What a joy it will be to give to Him and His work!" And the churches of Macedonia were the poorest people Paul knew. They gave joyfully out of their "deep poverty."
The real issue is that both of those sacrifices--praise and my money--rests on the making of the third one mentioned in the New Testament. "I urge you brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies to Him as a living sacrifice." The churches in Macedonia were so eager to give because they had "first given themselves to God." You see, they understood that there were not moments in their lives when they could worship God, but every moment in their lives were to be acts of worship to God. Having given all that they were to God, all that they had was His as well. Having given all that they were to God, there was a constant song in their heart just waiting for the opportunity to get out and to be lifted in adoration and praise to Him.
True worship is all-inclusive and resides in the heart. It is not just singing as marvelous an act of worship as that can be. But nothing is more deadly to my relationship with God than an external, sham worship. I bring a heart of devotion with me when I go to church or the music is meaningless and the offering a burden no matter how emotional I feel when I'm done singing or how empty my wallet is when I leave. It is the attitude of my heart alone that determines whether I'm worshiping God or practicing idolatry and worshiping myself. True worship is impossible until every aspect of my life is completely His.

"Search me, O God, and know my heart I pray . . . grant my desire to magnify Thy name . . . Lord, take my life and make it wholly Thine; fill my poor heart with Thy great love divine; take all my will, my passions, self and pride; I now surrender, Lord, in me abide."

May that be the moment by moment prayer of my heart.