Topic: Our Response to God
Question: Why should we worship God?
Answer: There are endless reasons to worship God, but at the heart of the matter lies this truth: worshipping God is the supreme purpose for which humans were created (Psalm 29:1–2; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Ephesians 1:3–6; Philippians 2:9–11). You and I were made to worship God. The central function of the Church is to glorify and worship God through Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:4–6; 1 Peter 2:5; Revelation 5:13–14; 21:1—22:5).Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us that God planted eternity in the human heart. This verse explains why we are not satisfied with earthly endeavors and achievements. Humans are born with a deep, inner longing to comprehend our eternal purpose and know our infinite Creator. We yearn for something more, something greater than ourselves.You could say we have a built-in craving to worship. God placed eternity in our hearts so we would hunger and thirst for Him. But before we came to know God through a relationship with Jesus Christ, we fulfilled that gnawing hunger by worshiping unworthy objects and pursuits. Our idols took the form of money, people, careers, hobbies, passions, possessions, and anything that replaced God in our hearts.The Bible teaches that God desires our worship (Psalm 99:5; John 4:23). He is the only One worthy of it (Deuteronomy 10:21; 1 Chronicles 16:25; Psalm 96:4–5). Our worship of Him reveals that the God of the universe has captured our attention and won our allegiance. We worship God because we recognize that no other being, thing, pursuit, or pleasure is worthy of the place He inhabits on the throne of our lives (Exodus 20:3–5; Hebrews 12:28–29).To worship is to recognize, honor, and express the worthiness of God that He is due as our Maker (Acts 17:28; James 1:17; Revelation 4:11) and our Redeemer (Colossians 1:12–13; 1 Peter 1:3). Worship is part of our daily fellowship with God. For believers, worship is our way of life. The apostle Paul defined worship as an all-encompassing lifestyle, dedicated to glorifying God: “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” (Romans 12:1).When we worship our heavenly Father through Jesus Christ, we experience fellowship and communion with Him (Philippians 3:3). Worship is how we meet with God and praise Him for His goodness, love, mercy, grace, wisdom, beauty, truth, holiness, compassion, might, and every other aspect of His character: “Shout with joy to the LORD, all the earth! Worship the LORD with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the LORD is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation” (Psalm 100:1–5, NLT).Through worship, we celebrate God’s presence and power. We grow closer to Him as He speaks to hearts and makes His home in our lives. His will becomes our will, and we are transformed.Not only does worship change us, but it also makes God known to others and changes their lives, too: “He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the LORD” (Psalm 40:3, NLT). Our worship testifies to what God has done in us and what He can also do for others.Yes, God deserves our worship, but we, in turn, benefit from it. What could be better than to find and fulfill our ultimate purpose—to worship God and live in His presence forever and ever? “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’ All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: ‘Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!’” (Revelation 7:9–12).