I’m wide awake and can’t catch even a wink of sleep. Lately my mind has been racing. It seems like I instantly think of something anytime someone (or even myself) makes a bold statement.
A few weeks ago some friends were talking about church. They were commenting on how they liked the worship at some churches but not the preaching at others. Or they liked the preaching but wasn’t too fond of the worship at others. So then that automatically made me think, “hmmm…so does that mean that only music is worship?” This is definitely the impression they were unknowingly giving. (They didn’t mean to give that impression…by the way.) Churches will many times call the man who leads music the Worship Pastor. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this, but people should realize that worship goes beyond just singing to the Lord. Of course this led me to further study on the subject matter of worship. I looked up the definition in the dictionary on my laptop. It said –
the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity : the worship of God | ancestor worship.
• the acts or rites that make up a formal expression of reverence for a deity; a religious ceremony or ceremonies : the church was opened for public worship.
• adoration or devotion comparable to religious homage, shown toward a person or principle : Krushchev threw the worship of Stalin overboard.
So then I looked at Webster’s first 1828 dictionary and it said –
Chiefly and eminently, the act of paying divine honors to the Supreme Being; or the reverence and homage paid to him in religious exercises, consisting in adoration, confession, prayer, thanksgiving and the like.
The worship of God is an eminent part of religion.
Prayer is a chief part of religious worship.
Honor; respect; civil deference.
Then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. Luke 14.
To adore; to pay divine honors to; to reverence with supreme respect and veneration.
Thou shalt worship no other God. Exodus 34.
What a difference! The original dictionary marks God as the one deserving of worship whereas the new one mentions not only God but ancestors and historical figures.
Worship is adoration. It’s not just singing to the Lord but wholly devoting your life to Him. It’s making sure that every act, word, or deed is pleasing to Him and gives Him all glory, honor, and praise. Worship is a daily dying to self to live for Him. It doesn’t just happen on Sunday, but every day of a Christian’s life. He alone is to be adored.
A few verses that I love referring to worship:
Psalm 29:2 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
Psalm 95:6 O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.
John 4:23-24 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth.
Revelation 14:7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
Tonight someone mentioned a particular Bible college that’s very conservative. So we all started inserting opinions about that college and others like it. I participated in the conversation, but on the way home I started thinking more deeply about the opinion I shared. I actually went to a conservative Bible college. I loved it! I met so many godly men and women. My professors loved me and cared for me. Conservative schools may not be for everyone, but for me it was exactly what I needed. I grew tremendously in my relationship with the Lord during those years I studied. I almost wish I could go back and say, “Wait. Maybe these schools weren’t for you or me, but they’re good for many people. Not everyone needs to go to a less conservative or secular university. God works in all of us in different ways.”
Alas, I kept my mouth shut only to have my mind reeling at 11:30 at night.
Tonight I was encouraged by a friend to truly devote time to prayer. It’s been a rough week and I was sharing my frustrations with her. (not calmly I might add) I was upset about a few things, and I just couldn’t let them go. She’s a good friend. She kindly listened and then encouraged me to really seek the Lord about them. I was thankful that she was honest with me. I’d say honesty is what I appreciate most in friends.
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