Worship

Worship

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

Romans 12:1, NIV

In the Old Testament, worship of God involved altars, the Tabernacle, lampstands, burnt offerings, priestly garments, priests, anointing oil, and incense. But in the New Testament, worship is characterized by joy and thanksgiving for the redemption Christ provided for us through his death on the cross. The New Testament instructs us that where we worship God is not so important as how we worship. Worship includes prayer, praise, and study of God’s Word, and it must be done in spirit and in truth.

When our minds and bodies are yielded to God, every day can be a worship experience. Psalm 96:9 (TLB), says, “Worship the Lord with the beauty of holy lives.” Worshipping God requires freedom from slavery or service to anything else, and if we are selfishly holding on to things in our lives that are contrary to God’s instructions for us, our attempts at worship are actually mockery of God.

What prompts us to present ourselves to God? Not laws, shoulds, or ought-tos. A view of God’s mercy is what motivates our true worship. It’s been said that grace is getting what we don’t deserve and mercy is not getting what we do deserve. As we daily thank God for his mercy to us and remember all he’s done for us, we are prompted to worship him with the beauty of holy lives.

Merciful Father,

In view of all you’ve done for us, we pray that our lives will be characterized by joy, thanksgiving, and worship to you. Amen.