The Privilege of Worship

The privilege of worshiping God can easily be lost to us. To unbelievers, worship can seem like ritualistic threatened obedience to an egomaniacal God. To believers, worship can become simply tradition or checking boxes of what we have to do in order to please (or not displease) God.

Viewing worship as a privilege can change everything about it. But before we can do that, we must have a correct view of God. See, worship brings us into the presence of God – we are approaching Him in heart and action. We are bringing something and offering it to God. If we view God as common (not holy), distant (not present), or selfish (not with our best interest in mind) then worship will never seem like a privilege, but rather just an obligation or even drudgery.

"God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things." Act 17:24-25

God doesn’t need us. As Acts 17:24-25 says, if God really is God, then He doesn’t need us. That doesn’t mean don’t worship, it means, as our Creator, He doesn’t need our help to be or do anything. He is God. We need to recognize that worship is our effort to recognize He is God and to try to express how elevated He is in all ways above us.

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." Isa 55:8-9

Make God our God. Much of Scripture attempts to show us how great God is (and how small we are). God must be the Mighty One in our lives. When we see God for Who He really is, then humbling ourselves in worship not only is a command to keep, it is a privilege to come before Him, to be allowed in His presence, and for Him to accept anything we might have to give Him in worship. Knowing God changes everything. Everything about Him draws us to Him, making it a privilege to be His people, to serve Him, to obey Him, and to worship Him. Keeping our eyes on Him will change drudgery to blessing, and obligation to privilege.  dd