The True Worship of God - Part II If we go to church, sing hymns, give our tithe and offerings, listen to the sermon, and feel that we have done our bit and pat our backs, we are sadly mistaken. This is certainly not worship. These may be acts or expressions of worship, but they do not define true worship in its right perspective. There are numerous definitions of the word worship. Yet one, in particular, encapsulates the priority we should give to worship as a spiritual discipline: Worship is to honour with extravagant love and extreme submission (Webster's Dictionary,1828). True worship, in other words, is defined by the priority we place on who God is in our lives and where God is on our list of priorities. True worship is a matter of the heart expressed through a lifestyle of holiness. Thus, if our lifestyle does not reflect the beauty of holiness through love for God, and we do not live in perfect submission to God, we are certainly not what God desires us to be. We worship God because he is the Creator God. All things are created by Him and for His pleasure. Our love and submission to the Holy One flow out naturally because God loved us first. It is in the fitness of things to thank God for all the things he has done for us. As sinners we do not deserve His blessings and kindness. However, true worship is shallow if it is solely an acknowledgement of blessings and wealth, which has become a trend today. Psalms 96:5-7 says, "For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens. 6 Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. 7 Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength." In other words, our worship must be toward the one who is worthy because of what He is. The Great Almighty God is the Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent One, whose majesty and attributes are beyond the understanding of man. He blesses us with wealth, fulfils our needs and answers our prayers. We must focus our practice of worship on the worthiness of God, and not his wealth. Revelation 4:11 “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” Because of our God's unimaginable generosity and magnanimity toward us, He, chooses to respond to us through our worship. God promises to manifest his presence in a special way when we worship. Mathew 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Our worship has to be in all earnestness from the bottom of our hearts. God deeply desires a personal relationship with each one of us, and He is at work around us at all times. Just as God walked and talked with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, so He desires to fellowship and communicate with each of us. God has promised in Psalm 22:3 to inhabit the praises of His people, and God is always true to His promises. Our worship provides a place of meeting with God — a place for us to encounter His very presence and embrace His invitation to join Him as He works. To glorify Him, Praise Him, to thank Him, and to magnify Him. He is our Creator and we are Him creatures, the handiwork of His hands. Dr Ashwin Drummond Laddertoheaven.co.in