6 reasons why I worship. A post from David Santistevan.
1. Because God commands it
“For you shall worship no other god, for the Lord whose name is Jealous is a jealous God” (Exodus 34:14).
God is the only being who can honestly be prideful. God exists for God. At the center of all He does for us is a passion for His own glory. When you learn to embrace that and love that, your worship deepens.
When God commands worship, it’s an act of love and service because He knows nothing can satisfy us like He can.
2. Because God is worthy
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created” (Revelation 4:11).
Our praise can’t describe the depths of who God is. We can’t articulate even a fraction of His worth. Yet we worship because He is so worthy. We step into the mystery, the wonder, the glory and stand in awe of His indescribable worth.
3. Because it pleases God
“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God” (Hebrews 13:16).
Worship is a sacrifice. It’s laying your pride, self sufficiency, and self worship on the altar. Such sacrifices are pleasing to God. And I love to put a smile on His face.
The more my mind is renewed, my faith strengthened, the more I want to please His heart in everything I do. So I worship.
4. Because worship changes us
“Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God” (Psalm 43:5).
God doesn’t need our worship. He’s not a worship-hungry, cranky, bored dictator demanding we worship Him in order to boost His self esteem.
We worship because worship changes us. What you value gets magnified in your life. When you set your life on the pursuit of knowing and worshiping God, you’ll never be the same.
5. Because it’s the goal of life
“Let the nations be glad and sing for joy…” (Psalm 67:4).
Someone may argue that the goal of life is to reach the lost. More specifically, the goal of life is that the lost become worshipers. As John Piper famously says, “Missions exists because worship doesn’t.”
We pray and fast and go and love to raise up worshipers among all nations. We want people to experience God as we experience Him. We want to see the nations worship.
6. Because it helps you defeat sin
“Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things, and give me life in your ways” (Psalm 119:37).
It’s hard to be a consistent sinner if you’re a whole-hearted worshiper. Not that you never sin, but sin loses its appeal as you transfer your affections from worldly things to the beauty of God.
I’ve found worship to be the greatest weapon in defeating sin. The things of this world grow strangely dim. I begin to treasure Christ more. My appetite for earthly things lessens as I experience the depths of God.
Shine On!
Dave
