True and Proper Worship
“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
Colossians 3:16-17
When we hear the word worship, most of us immediately think of worship music or tithing, but what does daily worship look like for us as followers of Christ; at work, at home, and when we are out and about? God’s desire for us is to look at every thought, action, and interaction we have throughout our day to be an act of worship, an outward sign of gratitude for God and all He has done for us.
Our own process of sanctification is in large part achieved through our worship, praising God and giving Him all the glory in every situation. Praise is the consummation of our joy and fulfillment in God. We worship God in practical, everyday situations by pointing to Him as the source of our Joy, our Hope, our Strength, our Salvation, and Redemption. This in turn points the rest of the world around us back to Him as the sole source of their salvation and redemption as well. When we worship God, we not only draw ourselves closer to Him, but it outwardly expresses God’s glory to a fallen word around us that so desperately needs Him.
I have recently been inspired by the Christians in our organization who are worshiping publicly God’s goodness. During Mental Health month we were blessed by Bobby and Amber Sole testifying about their Christ centered, God honoring marriage as the picture of what a healthy relationship looks like and during the Academy 59 Graduation, Academy Coordinator Jorge Robledo quoted Proverbs 22:6 as the foundation of the academy’s vision and Academy Valedictorian Matthew Carey was giving thanks and glory to God during his graduation speech. Their boldness and public acts of worship are not only forging their own relationships with our Father, but they are the planting seeds of the goodness of God in the hearts of those around them!
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
Romans 12:1