YOU ALREADY WORSHIP
Jenna Worsham
Today’s Scripture: “I will exalt you, my God and King, and praise your name forever and ever.” Psalms 145:1, ESV
Theme: Worship is a reflection of who or what we put first.
HERO WORSHIP
Of course, it was my parents I hero-worshiped first. I copied them. We wore matching t-shirts. I was proud of our family’s minivan personalized plate with “4JSS” (the four of us all had first names starting with “J” and our last name starts with “S”). I still inadvertently fall into hero worship and have to correct myself.
Newly released into the real world, with a job, grown-up apartment, and my own church in the Los Angeles area, I felt unmoored. I loved my student group and had volunteered with teens throughout my university years. Also, the local young adults were serving there, so I joined them. I admired a leader who was just one life stage ahead of me. She was training for a marathon; she was married; she led students; she was a writer; she was outdoorsy; and she loved Jesus. I wanted to BE her. I thought she was like me, but way better. So, I fashioned myself in her image, discreetly. The clothing I wore most often looked like hers. I began training for my first half marathon. I served on her team. I thanked and complimented her sincerely. I accepted anytime she invited me to hang out. I listened when she spoke and asked follow-up questions. I babysat her firstborn. I did not have to think, “I need to worship this person.” I just did it.
YOU ALREADY WORSHIP
We worship without trying. Our worship manifests itself in many ways: imitation, adoration, obedience, obsession, focus, obeisance, prioritization. Our worship is not always directed towards the one true God.
I notice some form of “worship” when:
I rise early and read my Bible, meditate, pray, or sit in God’s presence.
When I take my tired body to a class at the gym or out for a run.
When I get my grumpy family up and out to church.
The days I rest...because God commands a sabbath.
When I watch the Netflix show or read the book you recommend.
When I sing along to the radio or buy every song by a favorite artist.
As I shop, talk, decorate, give, converse, and rest – I worship.
With what I watch, consume, build, and break down – I worship.
I sing and dance alone in my home, and it is worship.
The motivations I don’t think about, the gratitude I do think about, what time I rise and when I go to sleep can be acts of worship.
Sometimes I intentionally try to worship. Sometimes worship of worthless things catches me by surprise. One thing is certain, all people worship something. God reminded His people: “Take care lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them” (Deuteronomy 11:16, ESV). Sometimes, I need to redirect my worship from unworthy things or people to God.
SHAKABLE THINGS
God is unshakable, eternal, and all-powerful. Nothing else meets that description. Everything on earth is consumable. God will eventually remove all “things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain” (Hebrew 12:27b, ESV). At the weekend service, I am reminded that worship belongs to God. Some weeks I have remained faithful. Other times, I may have worshipped shakable things. The gathered community of believers, turned to focus on God in worship, is ballast when I am spiritually unmoored. When I come, I may bring energy, victory, and gratitude, feeling ready to praise our good God. Other times, I crawl up to my Father (so to speak), barely able to utter a word past my constricted throat.
BRING ANYTHING TO HIM
When I stand up to lead or be led in worship, the Holy Spirit reveals my spiritual status clearly. My soul is crushed by grief. My soul is nourished. I am thankful. I have been distracted. I am prideful. I think I have it together. I am disobedient. Nothing I bring to God is too much. I may start in any attitude or situation and still move as God directs me to participate. What I can’t do is stay on the sidelines. Obeying Him, in the moment, is worship. Disobeying is sin. For me, that may mean singing, raising hands, moving my feet, closing my eyes, kneeling, sitting in reverence, humming, clapping, or praying. Corporate worship helps me remember that every day I already worship, but I need to choose to worship God. Sunday is “game day.” It reminds us we are starters on God’s team. He’s sending us in, inviting us to participate.
Make It Personal: What personal acquaintance or celebrity do you admire? In what ways might you have inadvertently “worshiped” shakable things? How does being physically present for corporate worship affect you?
Pray: Dear God, we praise You and worship only You. Thank You for all of the created things we enjoy and the people we love. Help us to bestow our worship correctly on You and only You. We are sorry for the times we have worshiped other gods. Help us to change our bad habits and notice when we begin to worship shakable, temporary things, including ourselves. Help us to recognize the opportunity and power offered to us during corporate worship with the Church. You alone are God, worthy of worship. I will follow, copy, listen to, and rejoice with You. Amen.
Read: Hebrews 12:25-29; 2 Chronicles 7:19; Psalms 145:1-7
Weekly Memory Verse: “Give thanks to the Lord,
call upon his name,
make known his deeds among the peoples,
proclaim that his name is exalted.” Isaiah 12:4b, ESV