“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God- this is your true and proper worship.”
-Romans 12:1 (NIV)
Every year for the past several years, my husband and I have been graciously blessed with the ability to get away for a few days around our anniversary. We make it a point to leave our kids and our responsibilities and steal away for some much needed time ALONE. We take that time to reconnect, get some respite from our daily grind, and just enjoy being together. Sometimes we go south for warmer weather, sometimes we go north to see the snow. Sometimes we go an hour down the road and call it a date.
Side note; let me just say to my married women, DO THIS. Even if you just go stay in a hotel in town for a night or two every couple months, make time to get away together regularly and focus on your marriage. This world has so many distractions, and we can begin to drift apart from our spouse if we do not actively and intentionally make time to be together ALONE. We live in a world that is hostile toward anything of God, including marriage, “for we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world” (Ephesians 6:12). If we are not actively protecting and nurturing our marriage, we could lose it. Don’t let your marriage fall victim to the world we live in. Rant over!
So…this year we spent some time down in Florida in the warm sunshine where we were able to escape the winter blues with some extra vitamin D. It was so nice. So warm. So tropical. The perfect place to really stand in awe of God’s creation. While there, we made it a point to devote our mornings to individual Bible study. After our studies, we would then come together and share what we each learned. Highly recommend!
For church that Sunday, we found an amazing place to worship and I am so thankful we did.
After arriving to one of the most welcoming churches I have ever had the privilege of entering , we found our seats and immediately felt at home. The people were loving, the music was great, and you could feel the pulse of the Holy Spirit moving through His people as we all sang praises to our God.
Between songs, the worship leader had this to say, “worship is a heart posture, not just a body posture.” YES! A few minutes later, during the sermon, the pastor also added that “worship is a reaction”. YES and AMEN!
Some of you may read that and think, “well duh, why was that so exciting?” Friends, let me tell you…not all Christians understand this. Depending on how you were raised and what sort of “worship style” your church exercises, your understanding of true worship could be cloudy, if not completely obstructed.
There are some that think that “worship” is the time of a church service where the musicians play and people sing. There are others that believe that worship is simply the physical act of what your body is doing (hands raised, bowing, singing, playing instruments, burning candles…flailing…handling snakes, etc.) The truth is, without a heart postured in reverence and awe of God and all He has done, none of that matters. None of those things are the origin of worship, but can be used to express it (maybe not the snakes…or the flailing).
True and proper worship happens when we are convicted by God’s Word, surrender to and receive affection through God’s Word, then, responding accordingly to the truths in God’s Word, react in surrender to God through His Word! The outward manifestation of that heart posture is what follows.
True and proper worship, according to the apostle Paul, occurs when we offer ourselves as a “living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God”. What does that mean, in practice? It means surrendering every aspect of our lives to God the Father. What we do with our bodies, our minds, our relationships, our resources, our time…everything that we are and do must be brought into submission to the Word of God. Everything. Pauls also adds:
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Romans 12:2
Once again, we have come back to the importance of studying God’s Word. The importance of choosing the “good portion”. It is at the center of worship. God’s Word is the way He ordained us to learn about Him and know Him. It is how we become familiar with the promises and mercies of God. It is what transforms and renews our minds.
So, if worship is the result of our minds being renewed and a reaction to God’s mercies, what are the “biblical” ways that should manifest? I’m glad you asked.
Part 2 coming soon! Don’t forget to subscribe to the email list so you don’t miss it!
Stay hungry. Stay humble. Keep choosing the Good Portion.