Does God care how we worship Him? Is there a certain manner or way that He prefers? Or can we just worship Him however we think is best? Jesus said that the Father is seeking those who will worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:23), so there is apparently a preferred way in which the Lord wants us to worship Him.One of the praise songs we sing at Ridge Avenue Baptist Church, "Love the Lord" by Lincoln Brewster, is based on Mark 12:30 and it gives us some good insight into the proper attitude for worship. Let's take a look at the scripture and at what Jesus called the first and greatest commandment:
(Mark 12:29-30)--Listen, Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. (HCSB)
With All Our Heart
God sees what's in our hearts, and He wants us all to Himself. He wants all our devotion. He doesn't want to share our heart with another. He should be the primary object of our affection.(1 Sam. 16:7, Deut. 5:7, 1 Chron. 28:9, Matt. 5:8, Ps. 51:10)
With All Our Soul
The Lord wants an intimate relationship with us that's as deep as and deeper than our close loved ones. Just as we can be more open and honest with those we love, responding with warmth instead of coldness, in a similar fashion, if we truly love the Lord we will respond emotionally to Him.
(Ps. 42:1-2, Ps. 62:1-2, Ps. 103:1-2)
With All Our Mind
We need to focus all our attention on the Lord when we worship. We should resist all distractions that take our attention away from Him. Our thoughts should be aimed at God's character and His goodness to us.
(Col. 3:1-2, Rom. 12:2, 1 Peter 1:13-16)
With All Our Strength
Worship involves our bodies. We are told in 1 Cor. 6:13, 19-20 that our
body is a temple of the Holy Spirit and that we are to honor and glorify God in our bodies by striving to please Him with a life of holiness and service. We use our body in our work and recreation, but its highest function should be in worship.
(Romans 12:1)--Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship. (HCSB)
So RABC, let's strive to worship God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength!
Joey C.