BY CHISENGO KAPIHYA
Man is a worshipper by nature, whether or not the worship is directed towards God.
Before I go further, I'd like to define worship.
According to the English dictionary, "worship is the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity". I beg to differ with it being a feeling, because feelings come and go. Worshipping God is supposed to be a daily act of the heart, not because we feel like it; but because we love him, honor him, adore him, and revere him enough to give him the greatest and most valuable place in our lives. If, indeed, it were a feeling, then we'd only worship when we [feel] like it, or when the mood [feels] right.
You see, there are so many Sundays that I do not [feel] like going to church, but I still do; because with God, it's not about feelings, but about the willingness of the heart to obey him and do that which he asks of us. Think about it this way, if God blessed you and opened up doors to your breakthroughs only when he felt like it, how disastrous would your life be? I know, for sure, that mine would be tragic. It is for this very reason that with God it's not about feelings, that I stand my ground that worship is not a [feeling].
Furthermore, worship rightfully belongs to God alone; for he is the Creator of all things and all people. 'And Jesus answered him, “It is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’”' [Luke 4:8 ESV]. Basically, no one else can truthfully lay claim to the position of highest value in any person's life, for it belongs to God, and God alone. This is exactly why there's that one void in your life that only feels occupied when you choose God above all else.
John 4:23,24 says, "But the hour is coming, and now is here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him." It is very easy for me to slip into a [state] of shutting my eyes, raising my hands, sometimes kneeling down and even shedding a couple tears, when the atmosphere or mood seems right, and call it "worship". While there's absolutely nothing wrong with doing any of the previously mentioned things; am I really worshipping God in spirit and in truth, if the state of my heart is darker than winter's night? With God, it's all about the state of your heart, for he sees and knows all that lies within. And just like Cain and Abel's offerings, how earnest, revering, acceptable and pleasing your worship to God is, is dependent on whether he holds the highest value or greatest worth in your life. For whatever you value most highly, that's what you worship.
In conclusion, I shall end in the words of John Gray, as excerpted from the sermon "Breakthrough Worship with John Gray", "Worship matters because it is the one thing God cannot give himself. Because in order to worship, you have to have someone higher than yourself."
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