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What does it mean to be created to worship? How can you please the Creator in everyday ways?
You were created to worship. As a created being, you naturally respond to your Creator. To live out this purpose, it’s helpful to understand what true worship is and how to worship God in practical ways.
Read more to learn what it means to be created to worship.
You Were Created to Worship
Your first purpose is worship—bringing pleasure to God. Worship doesn’t only happen when you’re in church. It’s a lifestyle that centers on making God happy. Because you were created to worship, it should be a central aspect of your life.
What Makes True Worship?
Before thinking about ways that you might worship God, ensure that the acts you engage in are true worship. True worship has four elements:
1) Accuracy: Be sure you’re not worshipping an image of God that you came up with yourself—in that case, you’re worshipping your own imagination or opinion. Instead, worship whom you know God to be by the truths outlined in Scripture. For example, “I think of God as someone who’d be understanding about some sins,” is false worship. On the other hand, “I worship God, who is just,” is true worship.
2) Authenticity: Because you were created to worship, true worship should be a natural, authentic outpouring of your heart. Worship that’s emotionless or insincere doesn’t please God. He wants you to express your worship with passion and authenticity. Many people think they should engage in traditional worship, but this leads to many believers just going through the motions. Instead, show your love for God in a way that feels good to you—the Bible suggests varied forms of worship including song, dance, confession, playing instruments, and shouting.
3) Thoughtfulness: Engage your mind meaningfully with your worship by looking for new and interesting ways to praise God such as:
- Reading different translations of the Bible, or finding synonyms for overused words.
- Being specific with your praises, instead of generalizing your thanks. For example, “I thank you for the interesting conversation I had with my neighbor today.”
4) Presence: You can be in only one place at once. God wants you to plan around—and show up physically for—worship instead of sticking to your own schedule and using an easy cop-out such as, “I’ll be there in spirit!” You were created to worship, so worship shouldn’t be treated as just an accessory to life.
Five Everyday Acts of Worship
There are five acts of worship that—when practiced genuinely—make God happy.
Act #1: Love Him Absolutely
God’s greatest desire is for you to love him in the same way that he loves you. You should think of him as your closest, most loyal friend—you’re in regular contact, know all about one another, and trust him completely.
- To deepen your friendship with God, include him in everything you do by having ongoing conversations with him in your mind and meditating on his Word as you go about your day. When talking to him, commit to total honesty—voicing your displeasure with him when it arises.
Act #2 and Act #3: Trust and Obey Him Completely
God wants you to trust and obey him completely. This can be difficult, as you may think that you know what’s best for you, but remember that God has known you since before your birth. He knows best and feels happiest when you demonstrate your absolute faith in him. You know your trust and obedience are complete when:
- You do exactly what’s asked of you. You don’t neglect any part of God’s instruction, and you do it precisely in the manner he wants.
- You trust and obey without hesitation. You don’t question God or deliberate about what to do—you act first and then reflect. Often, you’ll find that there was no way to understand God’s instructions until you did as he asked.
Because you were created to worship, it makes sense to trust and obey the one who created you.
Act #4: Thank Him Regularly
Regularly express your gratitude with authenticity and accuracy—throughout your day, thank God for who he is and thank him for specific gifts or opportunities he’s granted you. For example, you might express gratitude for specific miracles described in the Bible, or start your morning by telling him a list of the small joys of your life you’re grateful for.
Act #5: Use Your Abilities Earnestly
You were created to worship. Every time God sees his creations doing what he designed them to do, he feels pleasure. Everything you do can be an act of worship, as long as you’re doing it with an attitude of praise. For example, going for a jog can be an act of worship if you remind yourself, “I’m grateful that God gave me the ability to use my body in this way.”
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- The meaning of life from a Christian perspective
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