True Worship

God did not bless me with a very good signing voice. In fact, if you ever see me in church, I recommend for your own safety, that you not stand next to me during the worship. Mainly because I love to belt out the songs, regardless of my voice. After all, I'm singing to God, not man. Which brings me to a couple of points.

What is true worship?  Is it bowing down on your knees or prostrate to the ground? Is it singing a bunch of songs, lifting your hands in praise? Is it giving money to the church? All these things are great!  And I'm sure they please God. But I found a verse the other day in Romans that told me what God calls true worship.

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.  Romans 12:1

So, basically what God calls true worship is us giving ourselves entirely to Him. Complete submission to His will and His way. Based on that definition, how many of us can truly say that we worship God? We may sing a few songs in church, read our Bible daily, say our prayers and try to stay away from sin, but if we aren't living under complete obedience, if there's one thing we are holding back from God, then we aren't really worshiping Him. Maybe it's a relationship God has been telling you to end. Maybe it's a TV show or music you know you shouldn't listen to. Mabye God's been telling you to do something and you keep refusing. Whatever it is, it's keeping you from true worship.  You might say, so what? I'm still going to heaven.

Well, let's read verse 2 and see the benefits of true worshp.

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect

I see two major benefits of complete submission to God here.

1. God will transform you into a new person by changing the way you think! (Who couldn't use that!)

2. God will show you His will for your life

I can't tell you how many people come and ask me how they can know God's will for their lives!!  Here is the answer, plain as day in God's Word. You want to know what God has for you to do here on earth, fully submit to Him in every way, allow Him to change you from the inside out, and He will show you! It's a promise you can hold Him to!!  And by the way, that plan for you will be Good, Pleasing, and Perfect!

And I can tell you from experience, that is absolutely true!