Recently the concept of worship has been rolling around in my head. What does worship mean? Who am I worshiping? WHAT am I worshiping? When I go to church are the words I am singing truly worship? What do I need in order to worship? All these questions have been rolling around in my head. So I started on a search.
The meaning of worship has been written as this: the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity
As I have listened to the songs being sung in churches, I have been struck by how often we are singing songs that we call worship songs and yet the predominant tone in the songs is actually about ourselves. About us as humans. Yes, God's name is being mentioned, but the focus is on me. Don't get me wrong. I believe there is a place for these songs. However, when we are worshiping, our focus and attention should be completely on God.
As I was thinking about worship, God directed my thoughts to the fact that worship isn't necessarily a time. It is an attitude. It is a state of mind. And quite truthfully I should be striving to worship God at all times. John 4:23/24 says this:
The time is coming when we will no longer be concerned about whether to worship the Father here or in Jerusalem. For it’s not where we worship that counts, but how we worship—is our worship spiritual and real? Do we have the Holy Spirit’s help? For God is Spirit, and we must have his help to worship as we should. The Father wants this kind of worship from us.
In another version it says we must worship God is spirit and in truth. Two different aspects of our worship. In must be a state of mind. Our heart must be in tune with God. We must be followers of Him. We must worship Him in spirit. And the second part is worshiping Him in truth. Our worship must be rooted in the truth of God. It must be found through the examination of Scriptures. Once we have immersed ourselves in getting to know who God is, it is then we find ourselves truly worshiping. That's why when we sing songs about WHO God is, it is then we are worshiping. When our focus is on ourselves, it takes the focus off of the One who we are worshiping.
I believe there are times when we do need to focus on our lives. To examine where we are at. We must clean our slates and come clean before God and open up our hearts and minds to worship. I have always appreciated when a worship team leads out with a call to worship. An invitation to seek out the things that need to be changed in our hearts in order to come to the place where we can worship. True worship. Focusing on God. Not on what we have done wrong. Not what an awful person I am. That is not focusing on God. Focusing on God means looking at WHO HE IS! Focusing on all those incredible attributes of God. I have also appreciated when during a worship time, there has been a response after our time of worship. Because quite honestly, when we are focusing on God and who He is, there can only be a response. Of praise. Adoration. But also of a willingness to be more for Him. I love when there are those three aspects of a time of worship. i) the call to worship ii) the actual time of worship iii) and the response to our worship. I think often I get stuck on the inward issues I have. The things I want God to DO for me. The ways I want to change. Rather than just focusing my attention on WHO GOD IS.
I have this "poster" in my Bible.
Recently I was gifted a copy of Bethel Music's album "For the Sake of the World". What an incredible work of worship. I can't help but have my thoughts directed towards God as I listen to this. There's no room for focusing on me. As I listen and meditate on the words, I am overcome with how amazing God is. I am overcome with love for Him. I cannot help but worship when the focus is on Him.
Join me as we draw our focus to Him. I know it will strip away the thoughts of today as you allow your mind to focus on God. Let's worship Him together!!!!
