A Reason to Worship

Each Sabbath we go to church and lift our voices in praise to God in prayer and song. But what is our reason for worshiping God? The word worship comes from the Old English word meaning “worth-ship.” We apply it to the action of human beings as they express their respect and praise to a God who is worthy. The psalmist writes, “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs” (Psalm 100:2, NIV). This is what we normally think of when we think about worship. We come to church to give God worship and honor.

But how many times have you come to church longing to be filled, only to leave feeling just as empty, perhaps even more so, than when you came? What happened? I remember back in the 1980s, my husband and I were young in marriage yet full of zeal to serve the Lord. My husband was an elder, sang in a young-adult choir, and worked with Adventist Youth. I was in charge of the children’s divisions and worked with the Adventurer Club.

Yet, with all we were doing, I felt empty. Why? You see, my worship of God was only corporate. I worshiped God when I came to church, yet I did not take the time to worship God at home. The vitality and genuineness of corporate worship depend, to a large extent, on the vitality of our individual worship. If I am not worshiping God daily, I have nothing to contribute to the corporate worship experience. Worship is not limited to one day a week; it is a daily experience. Each day we need to come into the presence of God and worship Him.

If we want our lives to be centered on God, we must remain focused on our Creator at all times in all circumstances. To do this, we must live in an attitude of worship—something we can and must cultivate if we are to live a victorious Christian life.

Worship is a joyful experience! Our purpose for being is to worship God and bring glory to His name. The psalmist put it so nicely in Psalm 96:4.

We worship because God is worthy of our praise, seven days a week.

Heather-Dawn Small (deceased)