Having a heart of worship

What does it mean to have a heart of worship?

John 4:23-24
"Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

Paul frequently refers to worship as something other than abstract artistic creativity. Paul encourages his readers to praise God through their actions -- by living a godly life and loving others, you are worshiping God.

Romans 12:1
"Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship."

Romans 15:5-7
May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, ⁶ so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁷ Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

The phrase "living a godly life" often seems to be met with a brief stint of unattainable panic in many Christians. If your heart is in the right place, that is, if your heart is willing to sacrifice all else for the glory of Christ, then God teaches you how to glorify Him in the simplest of manners. The way you great your co-workers, the way you respond with patience to a difficult person, the way you conduct yourselves in your careers or at school -- these are all actions that show Christ to other people. It's really amazing how people receive a genuine act or word of kindness from others; it seems to be magnified tenfold when Christ is behind it. If you're living a Christ-like life, it simply means that you are allowing Christ to live through you. All of the glory automatically goes to Him, because you recognize that you cannot be holy on your own.

God's people must be wary of turning into people who worship rules rather than God, as the author of Colossians warns about:

Colossians 2:20-23
Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: ²¹ “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? ²² These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. ²³ Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.


How can I worship God in every day aspects of life?

I believe your spiritual gifts go a long way in determining your tendencies toward worship. Feel free to read the previous post about spiritual gifts! I often find that those who are gifted to administrate take joy in administration; it is their spiritual act of worship. They are doing exactly what God has called them and blessed them to do.

Music (and all art in general) is another form of worship that is universally recognized. Even if you don't prefer to sing or play an instrument, just listening to music and worshiping with your heart can be suitable. It really depends on who you are. Visual arts are also extremely powerful. I witnessed people who were silently acting out prayers with their bodies, and it was extremely touching and effective. One of my favorite poets is Gerard Manley Hopkins; his words paint a beautiful picture of God.

Nature is one of my favorite forms to worship God. Nature is so undeniably powerful that there is no possible way for a human to claim it as his or her own. I frequently recall this verse: 1 Corinthians 3:5-7 "What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. ⁶ I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. ⁷ So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow." It is impossible for me to claim that I created the power of Niagara Falls or the beauty of the Rocky Mountains. I am so overwhelmingly small compared to Nature, and yet its smallest function is tinier than me. The God who created photosynthesis is the same God who knows every hair on my head. The God who created the galaxy is the same God who gave me a body that is miraculous in itself. Have you ever just stared at a leaf and considered its integral function in the world (much like an individual human)? How did it get there, how does it know when to change colors and circulate water to its veins? Nature at once brings me back to my rightful place and reveals to me the beauty and complications in humanity.

Intelligence is another form of worship. I think science is a very powerful way to glorify God. I don't see how you can study the galaxy and not be humbled. How can you know exactly what minerals were needed to create a substance, exactly what made it possible for life to be sustained on earth, and not think of God? Science is a very powerful tool for a Christian, as is philosophy and other areas of intelligence. I encourage you to check out this very interesting video if you have time called Everything is Spiritual by Rob Bell: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=77024018179262526#

Prayer, quiet times, and fellowship are obviously very important forms of worship. Finding a community of believers to grow with is one of the perks of being a Christian! Speaking directly to God is really as good as life can get. How magnificent is it that we have a God who hears, who responds, and who encourages us to keep coming back for more?