What truly is worship and how should Christians show it every day?
Posted by The Skyliner on March 3rd, 2010Jessicah Peters
Staff Writer
Praying, tithing and singing are limited ways to worship the God who created us. Some people go to church to get something out of worship instead of giving back. Restricting worship to one certain way is harmful to a relationship with God.
Where in the Bible does it specifically say there is only one way to worship? The answer is nowhere.
To know how to worship, we first need to know what worship is. Worship is a reverent honor and homage paid to God or a sacred personage, or to any object regarded as sacred.
As Christians, we are commanded to worship God only. Exodus 20:5 says, “You must not bow down or worship them . . .” This verse commands us first not to make any idols and second not to worship them.
How does the Bible command us to worship, though? God commands us to worship Him, but how are we to worship Him?
Christians can worship in any way that pleases and gives God the glory. Some may believe that worshipping is standing while singing or singing only hymns.
I disagree with the statement that worship is any one specific thing we do in church or a church setting.
As Katie Mitchell, freshman Christian studies, said, worship is a lifestyle.
Romans 12:1 says, “Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship.”
Last summer, my youth pastor talked about the acts of worship. He set up multiple “worship stations” and told us to walk around the room to the different stations. The stations included drawing, writing, singing, sitting, standing, or bowing. The worship stations showed us different ways we could praise God.
This exercise really opened me up to finding a new way to worship a never-changing God.
In worship, we are to give Him our time, money, voice, attention and anything else that says, “This is for you, God and it is not for me or anyone else.”
For young students focusing on how others will observe their worship becomes a problem. People do not want to be rejected for raising their hands or bowing down.
1 Samuel 16: 7 says, “Man does not see what the Lord sees, for man sees what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.”
One’s worshipful act should not be judged by others. A Christian should not discriminate against how another Christian worships; instead, Christians should focus on their own hearts of worship.
Whether someone is doing an interpretative dance, singing, tithing, bowing, sitting or standing, we cannot look at that person and say that is wrong.
As long as one is worshipping with a pure heart and giving honor to God, who are we to say that it is wrong?
Tags: Spring 2010, Vol. 110 - Issue 6