“When I worship, I would rather my heart be without words than my words be without heart.” Lamar Boschman

I love music. I love singing. I just love worshipping God through song. It is a great way to express our love for Him, and is very close to my heart. There are so many songs of praise to God in the Bible. I truly believe that He loves to hear us sing his praise. However, worship is so much more than just our songs. Worship is born in our hearts, not on our lips. I believe worship is a life-style, not only a segment of a church service.

Worship is for God.

In all our songs, in all our actions, in all our “worship,” the ultimate goal is to bring God glory. It is not to make us feel good. It is not to put our love for God on display. In the presence of God, we find forgiveness and healing, we grow and learn and become more like Jesus; however, in all that we say and do in our worship, our focus should be awe before the surpassingly great and gracious God—not our church, our peers, or ourselves.

Worship should be authentic.

C.S. Lewis said, “The most valuable thing the Psalms do for me is to express the same delight in God which made David dance.”

It is so great to find exactly the right words in the Bible or in other songs to convey your feelings. Everyone loves to get hallmark cards. I take such a long time picking out a card. I just love to find a card with just the perfect message. But, If I put that card inside an envelope with my just my name signed on someone else’s words… how much would it really mean to the person I’m giving it to? It means the most when it is personalized. Those pre-written words are great, but what really matters to the receiver of that card is what you write with your own hand from your own heart. I think this applies to worship. God loves to hear us sing his praise, but if all we ever do is sing words written by someone else, it is like signing your name to a card, but never saying it with your own mouth. What God cherishes is for us to tell Him how we really feel. He wants us to sing a NEW song because of the marvelous things He has done. Tell Him how wonderful, and amazing, and beautiful He is to us using our own words, and prayers, and actions on a daily basis.

Worship is more than a song.“The highest form of worship is the worship of unselfish Christian service.”  Billy Graham

When I think about worship, it is not just a Sunday morning occurrence. I think about my whole life. I think about how and if my whole life is honoring to God. Every job you work, every choice you make, every person you meet, every smile or word of encouragement is an act of worship to God. The following are definitions of “worship”: a. The reverent love and devotion accorded a deity, an idol, or a sacred object. b. To honor and love as a deity. c. To regard with ardent or adoring esteem or devotion. It is from the old English term which means “to ascribe worth.” Who is more worthy than God? There is surely more than just songs to ascribe worth to someone who is so amazing.

Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Psalms 29:2

Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. I Chronicles 16:29

True worship is born in obedience. To “worship” God without obeying Him in your everyday life is not worship at all.

In our personal relationships, we all know that words-actions= nothing. Do we not think God feels the same? God wants not just our lips but our whole selves. This is really how God KNOWS that we love Him: not only when we SAY, but when we DO– when we obey. Of course, there is no sense in singing about giving Him your all, and trusting Him completely and then not putting stock in how he advises to live. That is what faith really means, after all.

Worshiping God is telling others about Him. Confessing the name of Jesus in a “worship” service is easy.  Confessing Jesus to your non believing co-workers, family and friends is a different matter for most Christians.  The Lord would rather have your obedience to preach the Gospel and disciple all nations than to have your “sacrifice of praise” on Sunday morning. “To obey is better than sacrifice.” (1 Samuel 15:22) He also expects you to live that worship out in real life.

He is Creator, Redeemer, Provider, Healer, Deliverer, King, Friend, Keeper of hearts, and Savior of souls. He is wonderful, beautiful, loving, gracious, and faithful. Who is more worthy of our devotion to not only worship Him with our mouths, but with our hearts, and with our lives? How could we, being so unworthy, really adequately ascribe worth to such a holy, magnificent God other than to offer Him our lives and every part of us? My highest goal and desire is to give Him all, all of my worship, all of my praise, and all of my life.

He is worthy.

“Give me all of you!!! I don’t want so much of your time, so much of your talents and money, and so much of your work. I want YOU!!! ALL OF YOU!! I have not come to torment or frustrate the natural man or woman, but to KILL IT! No half measures will do. I don’t want to only prune a branch here and a branch there; rather I want the whole tree out! Hand it over to me, the whole outfit, all of your desires, all of your wants and wishes and dreams. Turn them ALL over to me, give yourself to me and I will make of you a new self—in my image. Give me yourself and in exchange I will give you Myself. My will, shall become your will. My heart, shall become your heart.”  C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity