Worship …What’s It All About?

What is worship? Is it just when we throw our arms in the air during worship times at church or secretly in our rooms or cars along to a worship CD? I have been really pondering this question the last few weeks.

In the midst of my questioning, I sense the Lord calling me to a deeper place of worship, a place where He is my true focus – where all I really want to know and live by is what He says and thinks and feels – a response in my heart that says “Lord, I love you”.

I’m not trying to pretend I live in a beautiful worship bubble (as nice as that could be). Like you, I live in the real world, and my life is as normal as any of yours – noisy, distracting, demanding and engulfing of my time. But still, even in our ordinary, daily lives, our focus can change if we ask Him to help us. With His help we can start to see Him, lean on Him, and worship Him, even in all of life which is happening about us.

A few weeks ago, Andy and I had some time off and we climbed a few mountains in the Lake District. As we climbed, the views were indescribable, beautiful beyond description, the light, the clouds, the waterfalls, the rocks, the winter sky … just amazing! My heart could only sing of the majesty and beauty of our Creator. Without trying or thinking about it, worship poured from my heart, not in song, but in wonder and marvel.

Creation shouts out to us every day, reminding us that its Creator, our Creator, our Father God, is in charge. You may not have mountaintops you can climb, but around each one of us, even in the winter, there is creative beauty to marvel at and point us to the Creator. There are flowers to smell and look at, creatures and animals to delight in, trees to walk under, and colours to admire. God’s creation which stirs that worship within is waiting to be noticed, waiting to point to its Maker.

Unless we stop and take time to worship and focus on God, do we just slowly lose sight of Him? We talk about Him, but do we stop and listen and draw close? Does He become an add-on, an appendix? How amazing that He never pushes Himself on us! He never demands our attention, even though He deserves it. He just patiently, gently knocks at the doors of our heart and beckons us, saying, “Look at me, see me, consider me, remember me. I am all you will ever need. I am the life you breath. I am your Maker and your Creator, the one who loves you and knows you”.

Worship isn’t based on our circumstances or our feelings. It’s not just about singing songs and waving our arms around. God deserves our worship, no matter what we face or where we are. Worship is a choice. Worship is our love response to the only One who truly deserves it.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I take the time today to really focus on You, not for what I need from You or for what I can get in return, but just because You deserve it, just because You are beautiful beyond description and too marvellous for words. I love You, Lord, Amen.