by Peter Swann
Worship of our King. It’s what we’ll get to do for all eternity. And when we think of what we’ve been saved from now, it’s the natural response. So why aren’t we more consumed with it? Why aren’t we totally enraptured with worship? That’s what I’d like to cover in this next “Why We Don’t” blog series: Why we don’t worship.
In the last two blogs, I’ve covered why we don’t sing and why we don’t raise our hands. Those can be forms of worship. In this blog, I’d like to go broader in expressions of worship, while understanding that whether we eat or drink or whatever we do, it all is to be worship to our King (1 Corinthians 10:31).
When considering active expressions of worship, we could think of singing or dancing or praying or speaking or any other form of praise to our Lord. The form itself is not the subject of this blog; the frequency and depth is.
I think, though, that the question may not be “Why we don’t worship?” but rather “Why we don’t enjoy God?” Worship itself can’t be forced. It flows from the realization of some entity larger than ourselves, to whom we for some reason owe adoration. If we enjoy God, worship will naturally result.
So, to consider this, let’s look at three key reasons we don’t worship:
1. We are stuck in legalism.
We may act as if God isn’t to be enjoyed but served… that God is demanding, overbearing, and harsh. That perception of God steals the joy out of knowing Him, and therefore the worship due His great name. It’s time for a fresh reading of the Scriptures and consideration of who He really is.
2. We are too busy.
Life is hectic, fast-paced, and straining. We feel such pressure to keep up that we forsake the intangible for the tangible. We are consumed with what others think of us. What others can see (our bodies, our homes, our kids, our accolades) gets the priority over what they can’t see (worship of our King).
3. We think higher of ourselves than God.
I know that hurts… for me too. But it’s a worship of ourselves that is stealing fervor and frequency from worship of God. Life resolves around us, not around God, and the reality of the gospel has yet to rewire us. It’s time to meditate daily on the gospel and the glorious truth of who God is and who we are. The more desperate we realize we are, the more incredible we’ll realize God is.
This worship begins personally, then works itself out corporately. That’s significant, because all too often we wait for the Sunday gathering to meet our worship quota. I’m praying we’ll hit the delete button on that mindset and instead live daily lives of worship.
So, let’s allow thoughts of Him to dominate our minds. Let’s sing and praise and do all things for his glory. Let’s live now like we’ll one day live in heaven. It’s all about Him, and He’s worth it all