The word worship has more than one meaning. Devoted fans boldly worship a sports star or a movie hero. Kids at school may hungrily worship popularity or good grades. The children of Israel were commanded to only worship the One True God. The fact is, God designed worship as a core part of every human being.
Worshiping God is more than standing in church singing songs. Worship is a way of life, an attitude we carry with us wherever we go. It’s a response to who God is and the things He has done in our lives. We can worship God anywhere—at home, at school, on the basketball court, in front of the piano or even on the bus. Worship is a full-body act.
Worship with your mind. We worship God with our minds when we learn more about Him and the wonderful world He created. By studying God’s Word, reading devotional guides and applying biblical truth to our lives, we engage the intellectual side of our brains. The book of Acts tells of how Paul went into synagogues and reasoned with the leaders, discussing the Scriptures with them. By using the things he had learned and sharing those things with others, Paul worshiped God with his mind.
Worship with your heart. The Psalms are full of worship poems written by King David. In them he expresses not only his joy and happiness in serving God, but also the difficulties he faced. David goes from shouting God’s praise to crying out for help—often within the same Psalm. In all of his feelings and expressions, he recognizes that God is the Lord of all. By expressing those feelings, David worshiped God with his heart.
Worship with your body. This may be as simple as clapping our hands during a praise song or as challenging as listening to His Word and then acting on it (such as, reading about the early church helping the poor and then going to volunteer at a food pantry or homeless shelter). When we step out boldly for God, we worship Him with our bodies.
Worship with your relationships. How do you treat your family, friends, strangers and even enemies? First John 4:20 says, “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.” Jesus tells us to love our enemies. That doesn’t mean we have to go hug a bully, but we are called by God to treat all people with kindness, compassion and forgiveness. When we love the people around us, we honor God and make Him smile.
What other ways can you think of to worship God?
