I feel very inadequate to write about this subject .It encompasses something larger than I’ll ever be able to comprehend while I’m still in this world. Nevertheless, I shall attempt to share what little bits I AM learning.
In his book Whatever Happened to Worship, A. W. Tozer makes an interesting observation: “…when man falls on his knees and stretches out his hands and says, “Our Father which art in heaven,” he is doing what seems natural to him.” Tozer also states “The fact is that God made us to worship Him, and if we had not fallen with Adam and Eve, worship would have been the most natural thing for us.” After pondering his statements, I am realizing that worship does comes naturally to man, but our sin nature causes us to worship anything BUT God until we are reconciled to Him.
I believe that worship is not only natural to us, it is also one of the most enjoyable experiences we can have. That statement might strike you as odd, but let me give an example. I love classical music. I naturally tend to ‘worship’ the great artists who have mastered an instrument. I watch them play with a sense of awe that makes me feel like a worm, and I scrutinize their technique with the hope of being able to imitate their greatness. Whenever I get to meet one of my favorite artists, I get a huge rush of excitement and happiness and energy! I love to talk about the experience, and later on, the memory still makes me grin from ear to ear. And this is only a human we’re talking about here!
My dad gave a sermon about heaven this morning using Isaiah 6. He made the point that worship is not all about us. A lot of the talk about heaven gives the idea of mansions, banquets, beautiful scenery, and reunions with friends. While all of this might be true, the focus seems to be on what will give US pleasure, and that is only a very small part of what heaven is about according to Isaiah 6. Worship and adoration of God will be the central theme of our heavenly experience. This was hard for me to accept until I understood how enjoyable and natural worship is for us. If we take so much pleasure in meeting those whom we worship here on earth, think about the joy, excitement, and energy we will experience when we get to meet God face-to-face!
I can think of no more perfect happiness than to worship the Perfect One.
3 comments:
I think your thoughts are well-expressed. The man-centered motivation of everything we do is certainly evident in our lives and surroundings. Every day it becomes more evident to me that it's easier to focus on pleasing myself and meeting my needs, than serving others. The sad thing is, most evangelism is based on what it provides us (peace, guilt relief, joy, eternal bliss, etc.), rather than seeking restoration with our Creator.
Thanks for sharing! The more we ponder our Lord, and how to worship Him, the more we will reflect His character.
Wow Janille, that is really good. I think I often hold myself back from truly worshiping God because I am so afraid of appearing charismatic. But what does it mean to truly worship God? It is not an emotion, but a choice which is accompanied by emotion. Oh that we would know the sincere pleasure and delight of worshiping God in the beauty of holiness, in the way which He created us to worship from the very beginning of time.
Wow, watching classical music by masters makes You feel like a worm? I knew there was a reason I don't like the symphony!! Just kidding, I like symphonies just fine, as long as there's food afterwards! =P
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