The Culture of Hope Founded on Faith

To Worship God, part 2

When we think of worshiping God we generally envision singing in a church sanctuary on Sunday as the setting. But worship is a daily lifestyle activity that is not only expressed in words but also in our attitudes, actions, and choices. Today in part two of a four-part series I will discuss worship demonstrated by our attitudes.

The Christian life does not exist in a vacuum. We are called to “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man” (Col. 4:5-6) What we say and how we act comes from what is inside us, our attitudes. When our attitudes reflect anxiety, bitterness, resentment, and anger towards God and other people, everyone around us can see it in our demeanor. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19 gives us a template of what our attitudes should be: “Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit.”

By searching and seeking to follow Scripture daily, our spirit and the thoughts that we live with are cleansed by the Word of God on a regular basis. Remember the old saying, “Garbage in, Garbage out”? For those of us who are Christians, our mode of developing attitudes that are pleasing to God is, “When God’s Word goes in, God’s attitude comes out”.  Colossians  3:12-13  reminds us to “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, [compassion], kindness, humility, gentleness, longsuffering, and forgiving one another. If any man have a quarrel against any, even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye…Above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.”

Colossians and 1 Thessalonians are not the only references to this mindset of communion with God. The Bible is full of examples of and teaching about our rich inner life in intimate tranquility with God. And our walk with God is worship. It should demonstrate our adoration of, reverence, and devotion to the One who, “…so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

To truly worship God, then, does not require an audience other than God. It does not require a building that is designated as a church. It requires recognition of God’s continual presence with us, a heart tender towards the things of God and seeking to serve Him out of love. It requires a continual mindset of communication with God in which we not only worship and pray, but in which we also receive direction from God (“Pray without ceasing”). It requires a life that rejects anything that does not, directly or indirectly, serve God’s biblically expressed purpose for us, to bring glory to God and to represent the kingdom of God to those around us.

While this seems humanly impossible, it is the goal set before us in the Bible. In 2 Corinthians 12:9a Jesus is quoted as saying, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” It is only in the humble recognition of our inability and weakness that God is able to move us towards this kind of spiritual maturity. He is the one who cleanses us and teaches us what our internal life should be. Our part is to dismiss our own agenda, humbly spend time in His presence, be still before Him, and allow Him to work in us. We each have to make that choice.

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Update/Prayer Request: Before each infusion, blood work is done and two weeks ago Dan’s blood sugar level was very high. He had another complete metabolic blood panel done on Wednesday and it was within acceptable range but his A1C was higher than usual. The PA told us that the blood sugar levels and Dan’s severely dry, crusting palms are both side-effects of the immunotherapy. During yesterday’s infusion, his joints were less painful and not all sore at once. It was later in the day, after a big lunch, so we’re not sure if having a full stomach makes a difference. Afterwards he asked me to drive home because he was exhausted. Not sure why he was more tired this time than any time before. He usually doesn’t feel that side-effect until the next day. Thank you for continuing to pray for us. Please pray for strength and healing for Dan, both with the initial cancer and for the side-effects.