Reality Check: An Essay on Worship

I had the privilege of seeing Switchfoot live in concert last night, and man was it amazing! The band is incredibly talented and more than entertaining. As I looked around the room I saw people getting so into it. Jumping up and down, raising their hands, clapping, screaming the lyrics, you name it. I was among the many who were really enjoying the music. Several times during the concert, I found myself just closing my eyes and worshiping. As we sang about the wonderful love of God my soul was on fire. I felt the spirit move in me and remind me that we are creatures made to worship. And that really got me thinking.

Why is it that we can get absorbed in the music of a rock concert but be afraid of raising our hands during a worship service? Why do we dance our hearts out to the concerts and look so timid when the lyrics specifically turn to Jesus Christ or the Father? Is anyone else convicted by this????

As men and women created in the image of God, we are deliberately created to worship. We worship in the way we live. We lie to ourselves when we constrain the definition of worship to our Sunday morning services. Worship is so much more than that. When we give ourselves to something, we devote ourselves to it. That is all worship is, giving ourselves away to something else. We worship everything from video games, to ourselves, to sex, to facebook, to our girl friend/boy friend, etc. But we hesitate to worship God.

Who cares if someone judges us? Why do we become so desperately concerned about what people think of us when it comes to our relationship with Christ? We put up stained glass masquerades and only show people the side of us that they want to see. Too often as Christians we let people dictate how we act. We forget about the God that we claim to serve. Jesus Christ didn't care what other people thought. He always jacked with the social script, he upset all the religious leaders, he lived for God despite what the world told him to do. And that is the life we have been called to. As followers of Jesus Christ we aren't supposed to be passive, especially when it comes from the church. 

Many of us are afraid to raise our hands to praise God but we're fine with worshiping at a rock concert. I'm not saying you can't worship God at a concert. There is a huge difference between singing and raising your hands to good music or doing those actions unto God. If we are singing those praises to God, it is just as beautiful as a worship service. Our worship is a pleasant aroma to God.

Psalm 134:2 says we should "Lift up [our] hands in the sanctuary and praise God." Let's live out the Word of God. Don't be afraid of being judged. We worship to an audience of One; it is for Christ alone that we lift our hands and lift our voices. This Sunday when you are sitting in church, worship. Give every ounce you have to the Lord Almighty.

In His Hands,

-matt