Worship

Have you ever really thought about the word WORSHIP? Most associate worship with a time of singing songs. Worship is SO much more than just songs. I looked up the definition and this is what I found.

Noun:
1. Reverent honor and homage paid to God or a sacred personage, or to any object regarded as sacred.
2. Formal or ceremonious rendering of such honor and homage: They attended worship this morning.
3. Adoring reverence or regard: excessive worship of business success.
4. The object of adoring reverence or regard.

Verb (used with object)

5. To render religious reverence and homage to.
6. To feel an adoring reverence or regard for (any person or thing).

Verb (used without object)
7. To render religious reverence and homage, as to a deity.
8. To attend services of divine worship.
9. To feel an adoring reverence or regard.


Worship can mean many things to different people. When I hear the word I think of it as it relates to the first definition. It relates to Christ and not some “sacred personage”. However, it is easy to see areas in my life where worship relates to work or money. People in a higher “class” are often seen as better or looked at with “reverence or regard”. By definition, this is worship also.

John 4:21-24 says "Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

Ouch! Did you notice it doesn’t say “might” worship Him? It says if we worship Him, then we MUST worship in spirit and truth. If I am not worshiping Him, then truth can become distorted. My spirit can go astray from His presence.

This verse also references true worshipers. This implies there are many who worship, but are not true in their intent or in spirit. What kind of worshiper am I? I will admit there are times in my life when the last thing I feel like doing is worshiping. It could be that I don’t even think about worshiping because I just have too much going on. My schedule is too busy. How many times have I gone through my day without noticing all God has provided for me? I don’t even mean my home, clothing, food, family, etc. I’m referring to the song of the birds; the way He paints the sky with just the right amount of blue, pink, and purple; or the breeze across my face as I step outside and He kisses me good morning. The last definition listed says worship is to feel an adoring reverence or regard for. When I notice the things mentioned, I can’t help but worship God. They are all reminders of his presence. It is in these things that my SPIRIT worships.