Worship and Fear
“You shall worship the Lord, your God, and HIM only you shall serve.” Luke 4:8
Pastor, author and teacher, Tullian Tchividjian (grandson of Billy Graham) writes in his commentary on the book of Jonah that all of us are worshippers – of SOMETHING.
Being human is to be a worshipper. We’re created, designed, and wired for worship. It’s one of the biggest distinctions that mark was a human beings in this universe filled with living creatures … Worship is a posture of the heart. It is an attitude of loyalty and trust toward something – someone – in your life that you believe makes life worth living.
Ultimately worship defines you, makes your life meaningful, and gives you security. Thus, we all worship something or someone. This true whether you consider yourself to be religious or not, spiritual or not, Christian or not. They’re who you’re depending on to give your life meaning. Typically, whatever we worship is our “nonnegotiable.” It is that one thing, should we lose it or part with it, which would bring both devastation and hopelessness.
Being human is to be a worshipper. We’re created, designed, and wired for worship. It’s one of the biggest distinctions that mark was a human beings in this universe filled with living creatures … Worship is a posture of the heart. It is an attitude of loyalty and trust toward something – someone – in your life that you believe makes life worth living.
Ultimately worship defines you, makes your life meaningful, and gives you security. Thus, we all worship something or someone. This true whether you consider yourself to be religious or not, spiritual or not, Christian or not. They’re who you’re depending on to give your life meaning. Typically, whatever we worship is our “nonnegotiable.” It is that one thing, should we lose it or part with it, which would bring both devastation and hopelessness.
What you choose to attribute ultimate worth to –what you choose to worship – depends on what you fear the most. If you feel loneliness, you worship relationships. You depend on them to save you from a meaningless life. If you fear not being accepted or esteemed, you worship your social network, the way you look, the car you drive, or the amount of money you make. You depend on these things to validate your existence. If you fear insignificance, you end up worshipping your career or your accomplishments.
Behind everything we worship is some fear that, without this person or thing, we’d be lost. Life wouldn’t be worth living. Your fears cause you to attribute ultimate worth either to things such as success, reputation, family, relationships, or to God. Either you believe your life would be meaningless without your friends, or your career achievement, or your children, or your possessions, or your social status, or whatever, or you believe your life wouldn’t be worth living without God because you know He alone can provide everything you need (and, in fact, long for) – justification, love, mercy, grace, cleansing, a new beginning, eternal approval and acceptance, righteousness, and rescue. We’re all worshippers – but God is the ONLY reliable object of worship because NOTHING and NO ONE extends these things like God does in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
On this Lord’s day, it is a good time to reflect on WHO or WHAT you are really worshipping. Take some time before you leave for church today to examine your heart. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick
On this Lord’s day, it is a good time to reflect on WHO or WHAT you are really worshipping. Take some time before you leave for church today to examine your heart. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick
Compass Pointers: Worship is to Christian living what the mainspring is to a watch. Lawrence R. Axelson
Navigation Rules: Level 1: Proverbs 6:23; Level 2: Proverbs 6:12-19
Anchored to the Rock: Many pray with their lips for that which their hearts have no desire. Jonathan Edwards
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