Language Lab: What Is “worship”?

Language Lab: What Is “Worship”?

Bible Blast: Read Deuteronomy 10:20-21

He alone is your God, the only one who is worthy of your praise, the one who has done these mighty miracles that you have seen with your own eyes. Deuteronomy 10:21

In the United States, it’s common to shake hands when you greet someone. In Korea, everyone bows. It’s not a grand bow where you bend completely over and touch your head to the ground. It’s just a little movement that communicates “thank you” to be courteous. You bow when you greet an elderly person. If you meet someone for the first time, you might bow a little more deeply. To Koreans, bowing to another person is a way of showing respect.

The word worship in the Bible means that you show respect to someone who is your authority or leader. It specifically talks about making yourself physically lower than the one being worshiped by bowing, kneeling, or lying down at his feet. When you kneel in front of someone, you’re saying, “You are greater than I am, and so I’m going to bow down lower than you as a symbol that I submit to your power.”

When you hear the word worship, you can picture somebody bowing in front of something else. We know that we’re supposed to worship only God, but people worship all sorts of things. For example, when someone decides to believe what a fortune cookie says instead of listening for God’s voice, it’s as if that person is bowing down to that fortune, acknowledging its supposed power.

Sometimes people worship other people, too. In ancient times of Egypt, the people believed the man who ruled as pharaoh was a god, so they worshiped him, along with the other Egyptian gods they believed in.

When you worship God, you’re honoring him; it’s as if you’re saying, “God, you are worth everything to me. You’re greater than I am. You are my king.” When you have a time of worship at church, it should be an experience of telling God how great he is.

God wants you to worship only him—not statues, TV shows, celebrities, boys, or hobbies. Bow down only to God.

Girl Gab: Talk to your mom. Are you ever tempted to “worship” something or someone other than the Lord? Ask God to help you not to give in to that temptation. If there’s something you’re “bowing down” to instead of God, confess that to him.