Worship is a Lifestyle
“Worship is a lifestyle.”
One of the worship leaders I served under after college made this statement and it resonated with me. I used to think worship was only the songs we sing or just part of a church service, but I now recognize worship should encompass every part of my day and life, not just a song or 30 minutes during a church service.
JOURNAL: What does worship mean to you?
Let’s define the word worship. Merriam-Webster defines worship: “to honor or show reverence for as a divine being or supernatural power; or to regard with great or extravagant respect, honor, or devotion.” When we sing songs and pray, that’s only one way to express respect, honor, and devotion to God. But worship can take on so many different forms.
“Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NLT
““Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’” - Matthew 25:34-40 NLT
“Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.” - 1 John 3:18 NLT
“Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.” - Colossians 1:10 NLT
“But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.” - 1 Samuel 15:22 NLT
It’s easy to sing a song at church or in the car, but it’s something else entirely when we actually walk out worship every moment of every day. How can we honor God in every moment? It’s in the way we respond to our boss at work, or how we drive down Greenville Boulevard, or how we respond to our children or spouse. We worship God when we text that friend that pops to mind during the day or send a card to someone God lays on our heart. We worship God when paying for the person behind you at Starbucks or Chick-fil-A, but it doesn’t require money either. We can worship God by taking a walk with a friend who is going through a difficult time. We worship God with our attitude when we are at work and how we tackle our routine responsibilities.
Worship can be this big, outwardly passionate expression of our love for God, but we can also worship Him in the small, mundane, everyday decisions we have to make.
We sang this chorus a couple of weeks ago, “To worship You I live, to worship You I live, I live to worship You.” It’s so simple yet difficult in the world we live in with all the distractions that can take our eyes off the One who created and orchestrated it all. I want every aspect of my life to communicate the honor, respect, and love I have for God.
ACTIVATION: Ask God how to incorporate worship into every part of your day, from the moment you wake up to the time you lay down in bed. How can you worship God without singing a song?
PRAYER: God, I want worship to be my lifestyle. I want everything I do to express my honor, respect, and devotion to You. Not just in the songs I sing, but in the small decisions and attitudes throughout my day. I don’t worship You for what You’ve done for me, but for who You are! You are my Lord and King, and I choose to follow You today and every day!
One of the worship leaders I served under after college made this statement and it resonated with me. I used to think worship was only the songs we sing or just part of a church service, but I now recognize worship should encompass every part of my day and life, not just a song or 30 minutes during a church service.
JOURNAL: What does worship mean to you?
Let’s define the word worship. Merriam-Webster defines worship: “to honor or show reverence for as a divine being or supernatural power; or to regard with great or extravagant respect, honor, or devotion.” When we sing songs and pray, that’s only one way to express respect, honor, and devotion to God. But worship can take on so many different forms.
“Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NLT
““Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’” - Matthew 25:34-40 NLT
“Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.” - 1 John 3:18 NLT
“Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.” - Colossians 1:10 NLT
“But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.” - 1 Samuel 15:22 NLT
It’s easy to sing a song at church or in the car, but it’s something else entirely when we actually walk out worship every moment of every day. How can we honor God in every moment? It’s in the way we respond to our boss at work, or how we drive down Greenville Boulevard, or how we respond to our children or spouse. We worship God when we text that friend that pops to mind during the day or send a card to someone God lays on our heart. We worship God when paying for the person behind you at Starbucks or Chick-fil-A, but it doesn’t require money either. We can worship God by taking a walk with a friend who is going through a difficult time. We worship God with our attitude when we are at work and how we tackle our routine responsibilities.
Worship can be this big, outwardly passionate expression of our love for God, but we can also worship Him in the small, mundane, everyday decisions we have to make.
We sang this chorus a couple of weeks ago, “To worship You I live, to worship You I live, I live to worship You.” It’s so simple yet difficult in the world we live in with all the distractions that can take our eyes off the One who created and orchestrated it all. I want every aspect of my life to communicate the honor, respect, and love I have for God.
ACTIVATION: Ask God how to incorporate worship into every part of your day, from the moment you wake up to the time you lay down in bed. How can you worship God without singing a song?
PRAYER: God, I want worship to be my lifestyle. I want everything I do to express my honor, respect, and devotion to You. Not just in the songs I sing, but in the small decisions and attitudes throughout my day. I don’t worship You for what You’ve done for me, but for who You are! You are my Lord and King, and I choose to follow You today and every day!
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1 Comment
Love this, worship doesn't have to be mindless or complicated.