Worship Is. Worship Is Not.
By Hank Dmochowski
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
- Psalm 150:6
If you can breathe, this verse applies to you.
God is the one who gave us our breath, who fills our lungs. We owe our existence to Him. He is high and holy, just, merciful, full of grace and truth, and He is worthy of our greatest praises. The Bible makes it clear that is our privilege and duty to worship Him, so we ought to do it well.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of misconceptions out there, and this is an issue too important for us to get wrong.
Here’s what worship is NOT.
The “Not”
- Worship is not just singing, clapping, and raising hands
You might sing happy birthday to your cat, you can clap when they announce the return of the McRib, and you probably raise your hands on a roller coaster. Worship is more than just outward activities or physical demonstrations. God sees the heart. This is why we’re told that God is looking for people who will worship in Spirit and in Truth. It has to be both.
- Worship is not about you
It’s about Jesus. You might not like the style of music at church, the way they do or don’t do lights, or the background on the lyrics screen. You might find it “distracting” or “too dull,” but remember that the church hasn’t gathered to make you comfortable. It’s your responsibility to worship and bring glory to God.
- Worship is not a feeling
It’s a choice. The emotional high will only get you so far, and people who equate an ecstatic feeling with worship don’t always endure in a lifestyle that honors God. When we worship even though we don’t feel like it, I think that it honors God in a special way. It becomes sacrificial and establishes God on the throne of your heart.
- Worship is not just a Sunday thing
Jesus told us in John 4 that worship was not going to be confined to just the temple any longer. We are to worship God everywhere, not just in church on Sunday.
- Worship is not optional for Christians
We were created to worship Jesus. It’s in our DNA. Over and over in the Psalms we are told to praise the Lord. Jesus says in Luke 19:40 that if we don’t worship Him, a breathless, inanimate object will!
The “Is”
- Worship is giving Jesus first place in your life
In order to worship God, all other things have to come in second, third, fourth, etc. compared with Him (Colossians 1:15-18). We have to remove the idols from our hearts and submit to the supremacy of God.
- Worship is giving glory to God in your daily life
1 Corinthians 10:31 tells us that whatever we do, do it to the glory of God. Learning this made me reevaluate my priorities in life, what was and was not worth my time, money, and effort. Worship is a lifestyle, not just an event, and we can worship God by having a thankful heart as we serve, by tithing and being generous with our brothers and sisters in Christ. We can worship the Lord by being excellent at our jobs and having a good attitude with our bosses. Every activity in daily life can be an opportunity to worship God.
- Worship is expecting to meet Jesus
Psalm 22:3 tells us that God inhabits the praises of His people. This means that Jesus is present when we worship Him. If we embraced this truth, I think we would leap at the opportunity to praise God and to worship Him, just like the Psalmist says in Psalm 122:1, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go up to the house of the Lord.’” He is going to be there when we praise Him!
- Worship is expressive
This can take many forms. We sing to the Lord, we lift our hands, kneel, clap, and shout. We see all of these things in the Bible. If you’re willing to raise your hands in a rock concert but not during worship, your priorities are off. If you’re willing to clap and shout for your favorite sports team, shouldn’t you be willing to clap and shout for God in the proper context? (During worship music at church is a great time for this.)
- Worship is something we must teach to our children
Pick up your Bible right now and read Psalm 145:4 and Psalm 89:1. We are meant to teach each generation to worship the Lord. I know that in my own life, my decision to follow Jesus and worship Him affected my family drastically! Worshiping God ought to have generational effects, and if we teach our children to love and honor God, it will.
When we have a proper understanding of worship, it affects every part of our lives and invites God to move. Ask yourself what a lifestyle of worship would mean for your entertainment choices, your relationships, and your church involvement. Let’s worship our magnificent Creator in spirit and in truth.
