WORSHIP VERSES WORTHSHIP

The spiritual “glitz” of see what I can do is such an intoxicating illusion for many. To go and been seen and wear the mask of “I have perfect” faith is an act that often gets a attention because it appeals to the eyes and not the heart.

God knows when all that display isn’t more than a sparkle and cry for attention. He doesn’t need that kind of witness from the souls of men. In heaven are angels who give him praise constantly that is done out or a pure desire to convey “worthship.” That for me is to express what the Lord truly means to you for no other reason than legitimate praise and thanksgiving.

It is so easy to confuse the two. Even more so if we predicate our decision merely on what impresses us. But with the Lord he promised that where two or three are gathered in his name he will be there also. That doesn’t have anything to do with a particular building or our ornate the edifice. The Lord will be there because of the heart and when it is properly focused on wanting nothing more than to honor his worth as our Lord.

However all of that gets lost so many times by so much else that are the trappings of religiosity and tradition that make us feel. There are too many places in the scriptures where God expresses his dislike for such spiritual vanity. It doesn’t keep us from pursuing it and thinking when it makes us feel good that it was some kind of affirmation that the Lord loved it too.

How do we separate ourselves in body and spirit from what our mind craves for ego sake? It starts with the willingness to set aside the goals of our desires and craving for attention to ask, what is really the Lord’s desire?

In his house we are a community of followers who gather to worship. Some will truly come to express “worthship” others will not. We can’t know what burns so vivid and true in another’s heart. So we can only focus on the flame in our own souls and pray God’s spirit will see that it is faithful in its genuineness to what lifts him up for the right reasons.

This might seem like a trite and obvious thing to say. But so many times I felt the questions arise during some worship service when it seemed like what was being done was more to cater to the flesh and pride than to the Lord. There were such things as those who sat back and reveled in putting on display all the things they had done for the Lord. You never heard a single word mentioned that gave glory to God in any way. It was all about “I did this.” Was that really expressing “worthship?” I honestly can’t answer that for anyone else.

I do know that somewhere in the middle of all the ritual and activity, the heart must drift from being the center of attention and allow oneself to slowly be lost in the reality of God’s presence. It is hard to always reach that point of appreciation when so many things distract. But with prayer and faith it does come in intervals. Which though it isn’t perfection, it is enough when God is truly the one who is granted “worthship.”