We come together to worship God in praise, honor and adoration for who He is and what He does for us in Jesus Christ. We also thank God because He delights in unending love (Micah 7:18). Worship causes us to long for the day we can be with Him in eternal glory (Revelation 4:1-5:14).
Just as a father or mother takes pleasure in doing good for their children, our heavenly Father takes pleasure in blessing you and me as His children. On the other hand, just as little children love to please their parents, we as the children of our Father in heaven want to please Him in every area of our lives. This mindset certainly includes our public worship of Him.
When the apostle Paul instructs the early Christians on holy living he writes, “…trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:10). In his prayer for the Christians in the city of Colossae he asks God to help them “walk (live) in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects” (Colossians 1:10). Seeking to please God in every area of our lives, including our public worship of Him, should be our priority. It does matter to God how we worship Him. Rather than worship being determined by how it makes us feel, we must first seek to know God’s will on worship. The word of God needs to be the standard so that we can find the way to worship God in a way that pleases Him. Jesus is our Savior but He is also our Lord. Therefore, we should humbly seek His will in every area of our lives, including worship.
A segment of our society is very self-centered, constantly seeking its own gratification. Some live as if God revolves around them rather than their lives revolving around Him. They approach worship with that same attitude. On the other hand, Christians need to have the attitude of Jesus Christ who said, “Not what I will, but what You will” (Mark 14:34). The number one priority in every area of our lives, including our public worship, is not what pleases us but rather what pleases God.
God is worthy of our worship. He has been so good to us. He deserves for us to seek what pleases Him. It is appropriate that we feel good as we worship God, but that should flow out of a heart that is seeking His will above all else. If God is pleased, then we can rejoice and God will bless us.
…Mike