For more than sixty-five years I have enjoyed eating vanilla ice-cream. Not once have I grown tired of this flavor. As a matter of fact, vanilla is the most popular flavored ice cream in the world. So most likely, most who are reading this article like vanilla ice cream as well. Do you know why I like this flavor? It is because I always know what to expect. The ice cream always tastes the same. And I just keep eating the same ole’ thing. It is not boring to experience repeatedly what one thoroughly enjoys.
I really love my wife. For nearly forty-five years I have enjoyed being married to the same woman. Not once have I grown tired of her. Do you know why I love my wife? It is because I know what to expect from her as she does from me. Not once have I grown tired of hugging her and telling her that I love her. Never has she asked me to stop hugging her and saying that I love her. Never has she said “I’m tired of that, think of something else!” We expect love from one another expressed by affection. We expect love from one another proven by our commitment to be faithful as promised in our wedding vows. We do not have to think of new innovated ways to express our love for one another in order to maintain happiness and satisfaction. It is not a burden or boring to live with the same mate, expressing love the same way day after day, week after week, year after year. It would actually concern me if these things ceased.
But concerning a relationship with God, some have decided that spirituality depends upon new ways to feel close to God. They have become bored with the same old stale style of worship. They need new ways to stimulate their emotions in order for their worship to be meaningful to them. I wonder how the spouses of those who need innovations in their worship would react if their mate applied the same standard of overfamiliarity to them.
I once heard a preacher say that if people do not have fun at worship, then they will not come back. Is that what David meant when he said, “I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord” (Psalm 122:1)? According to Merriam Webster’s dictionary, the word “glad” means - “experiencing pleasure, joy, or delight: made happy.” It is therefore safe to conclude that David enjoyed worshipping God. Worship brought David pleasure and happiness. But what is worship? According to Webster’s dictionary, worship is “reverence offered a divine being or supernatural power. The same resource defines reverence as “honor or respect felt or shown: profound adoring, awed respect: a gesture of respect (such as bowing).” We are instructed in the book of Hebrews “…thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe” (Heb. 12:28).
Consider the following passages of scripture describing worship in the Bible:
Gen. 24:6 Then the man bowed down his head and worshiped the Lord.
Genesis 24:48 And I bowed my head and worshiped the Lord,
Genesis 24:52 …when Abraham’s servant heard their words, he worshiped the Lord, bowing himself to the earth.
Exodus 4:31…then they bowed their heads and worshiped.
Exodus 12:27…So the people bowed their heads and worshiped.
Exodus 34:8 So Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped.
Does this describe the atmosphere in which you gather to worship? Is the atmosphere one of reverence or is it just one that you personally enjoy because it stimulates your emotions? Worship is for God. He decides what is acceptable. It should never be based upon our personal delight. Otherwise, it becomes entertainment rather than worship.
Worship is a command. Jesus taught, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). Our motive (spirit) must be acceptable (John 14:15). And our actions of worship must be authorized by God (truth - John 17:17; Col. 3:17).
Changing the style of worship is not the solution. Some people just need to reevaluate their attitude. Worshiping with the realization that we are in the presence of God will always be new, fresh and genuine (even when we sing the same ole’ songs). It is not boring to experience repeatedly what one thoroughly enjoys. And nothing should bring more joy than knowing that our worship is acceptable and therefore pleasing to God.
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