THE OTHER SIDE OF WORSHIP
BRIEF
"While worship often entails praise, reverence, and connection with the divine, it also involves a deeper introspection into one's innermost self. Worship isn't solely about external rituals but also about internal reflection and transformation.
In Matthew 15:8, Jesus speaks of a type of worship that goes beyond lip service, saying, 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.' This verse reminds us that true worship requires authenticity and sincerity from the depths of our beings.
WHAT WORSHIP CAN DO
Worship can also involve surrender and submission to a higher power, as expressed in Romans 12:1, 'Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.' It's about aligning our will with the divine will and allowing ourselves to be transformed by it.
RESULT
Furthermore, worship encompasses acts of service and compassion towards others, as highlighted in Isaiah 58:6-7, 'Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?' This aspect of worship emphasizes the importance of living out our faith through compassionate action and social justice.
