The first verse and chorus of a song by Brother Tillit S. Teddlie is, “Oft we come together, Oft we sing and pray; Here we bring our off’ring on this holy day. Help us Lord, Thy love to see, May we all in truth and spirit worship thee.”
Life isn’t about you and me. Life is about God, our worship and our service to him. Our feelings, desires, hopes and dreams must take a second seat to God. Actually, our life is to be so centered on God that his desires become our desires.
We must worship him as he has directed. The worship is toward God. Worship has the idea in it of falling down before God or kissing the hand toward him. We humble ourselves before God. We learn to think and act as God wants us to think and act. We voluntarily take upon us the attitude and the attributes of God. We become his slaves. Just as some Israelites voluntarily became slaves to their masters. “...then his master shall bring him to the judges. He shall also bring him to the door, or to the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him forever.” Exodus 21:6. So our song says ‘So pierce my ear oh, Lord, my God’. In that song we promise to serve no other.
Our worship is to be ‘in spirit and truth.’ John 4:24. Some people still think to worship as they please is their privilege. God is the object of worship. He has decided and given us the instructions on how we are to worship to please him. When we truly submit to his will, we will not question his way.
Daniel was a worshiper of God. The law was made by King Darius, that all must pray only to the image for 30 days. Daniel had always prayed to God by the window facing Jerusalem. He continued to worship God. This resulted in him being thrown into the den of lions. The three Hebrew men who would not worship the image of Nebuchadnezzar were thrown into the fiery furnace. Our worship of God must be continuous. We are not to worship God sometimes and then worship others. We are to worship as God commands all the time, not just when we feel like it.
God expects, even demands, that we worship him from the heart. “But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.” Romans 6:17.
Acts 8:22 “Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.”
Matthew 22:37 “Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’” It is true that we must perform certain acts of worship toward God. These acts are not to be only outward obedience. They are to be actions which come from the heart. We are instructed to sing and make melody in our heart to the Lord. So when we worship God as he directs, we will be worshiping in spirit and in truth.
Vernon Curry has preached at the Highland Drive Church of Christ in Poplar Bluff for about 16 years.