God is worthy of worship.
I don’t think that is a statement that many Christians would disagree with. The thing that divides us is how and when to worship.
What is Christian worship? Worship is anything that we say and do that ascribes worth to God. We worship because of who He is. He is the Creator of the universe, Sustainer, Redeemer, Holy, the King of Kings, our Healer, and our Savior who understands us and our needs better than we understand ourselves. There are many more attributes and words to describe Him, and we each can identify with different ones based on our life experiences. All that to say: God is worthy of worship!
What do most Christians tend to think of when we hear the word worship? We think of worship music, and what happens during the “worship time” in a Sunday service. While music and singing is certainly an act of Christian worship, it isn’t the only way to worship God. Worship is also not constricted to the “service times” on Sundays either.
The Bible calls us to live a “lifestyle of worship” of Jesus! Psalm 34:1-3 says, “I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. I will boast in the Lord; the humble will hear and be glad. Proclaim the Lord’s greatness with me; let us exalt his name together.” This verse says that we are to offer praise to God “at all times”, for His praise to “always” be on our lips. The passage also says “let us exalt His name together”. Sunday worship services are vital for Christians to be a part of because of the importance of worshiping together, but our worship of Christ shouldn’t stop there. We should be worshiping Christ “at all times”!
Now we know what worship is, and why living a lifestyle of worship is important. How do you live it? I’m glad you asked.
Always be on mission for Christ. In Matthew 28, the Bible commands believers to “Go!” For some people this may be a very specific calling to go to a country outside of your own. However, for some that calling might be to their doctor’s office, school, grocery store, or anywhere else a Christian might frequent. God calls Christians to share Christ, to be a light for Jesus in the world, no matter where we are. Kennon Callahan, in Dynamic Worship says, “Persons and congregations who discover the mission and purpose to which God calls them understand that when they are in mission, they are indeed worshiping God. We live in one of the richest ages for mission that God has ever given the church. To share the mission is to worship God. In sharing the mission we do so with a deep sense of reverence and worship.”
Live out the fruit of the Spirit. Paul says in Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” True worshippers strive to apply these traits to their lives in an effort to become more like Christ. Living these qualities out in our daily lives in a world where the divide between good and evil seems to be ever-growing, will cause people to take notice, and any time we can show who Jesus is, and be the hands and feet of Jesus is an act of worship.
Living a lifestyle of worship means giving God the honor and glory for all that He has done in life. Living a lifestyle of worship means to not be self-seeking, but in all things cast aside personal glory for the sake of giving God the glory. Living a lifestyle of worship means to daily make the sacrifice to take off qualities of a former life without Christ, and to put on new qualities and characteristics that honor Christ, like the qualities found in Galatians 5:22-23, the fruit of the Spirit. Living life daily with these characteristics is obeying God’s command, honoring Him daily, and living a lifestyle of worship. With all that we say and do, on Sunday in a church service, or Monday morning in the office, do all with an attitude of worship, for the glory of God!
Ryan Gant
Minister of Music and Missions
Fellowship Baptist Church