Week 9: Great Are You, Lord

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Shout for joy to God, all the earth;

sing the glory of his name;

give to him glorious praise!

Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!

So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.

All the earth worships you

and sings praises to you;

they sing praises to your name.”

Psalm 66:1-4 (ESV)

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Worship is one of those things that Christians talk about without ever giving any thought to. It is true that we go to church on Sundays to worship, and perhaps even have a time of family worship with our children. But have we ever really thought about what “worship” truly means?

Quite tragically, many Christians treat worship as an addendum to their “real lives.” Six days a week, they toil and hustle and struggle and cope with their jobs, businesses, school, friends, and family. Then once a week (or two to three if they are feeling “extra spiritual”), they would go to church and worship.

It is true that worshiping with the church, the gathered Body of Christ, is a very special time. But what about the rest of our lives? Are we only intended to commit a seventh (1/7) of our lifetime to worshiping God?

No! Our worship is not an addendum to our lives. There is no “Christian” and “secular” dichotomy in our lives. At its core, the question of what our worship means is essentially tied to who we are! My friend, who are you?

The Lord once declared to Israel:

Fear not, for I am with you;

I will bring your offspring from the east,

and from the west I will gather you.

I will say to the north, Give up,

and to the south, Do not withhold;

bring my sons from afar

and my daughters from the end of the earth,

everyone who is called by my name,

whom I created for my glory,

whom I formed and made.”

Isaiah 43:5-7 (ESV)

The Lord created His people for His own glory! We are created with one goal in mind: the glory of our Lord!

Are you saddened to know that we were created not for our own glory but God’s, or are you rejoicing? It is a somber truth indeed, but it is one we can take comfort in. After all, we are part of such a greater, more glorious truth than ourselves. We are all part of a greater whole, pieces of an immaculate puzzle that God is assembling. At the end of days, we will experience God fully for who He is, and we shall join with the new creation in praising Him in His temple!

Rejoice in this truth. May our songs be joyful echoes of the One who fills our lungs with His breath. May our hearts, minds, and bodies be united in one dance and one song: for the glory of the One who created us to worship.