Articles
Worship vs. Service
Because of the covenant Melanie and I made together 29 years ago, much of my personal life has been altered dramatically. How money is spent is directly impacted by my responsibility to support her. Most of my meals are shared with her. The words that I speak are (most of the time!) measured by how they may affect her. Even mundane matters such as grooming and hygiene are undertaken with consideration for being presentable to her. So much of my life is shaped by the conscious and perhaps even the unconscious awareness of what is good or beneficial (or offensive) to my mate. “But he who is married cares about the things of the world – how he may please his wife” (I Cor. 7:33).
But is this “other-oriented lifestyle” the whole of my devotion? Is there not an additional level of interaction wherein I directly express what Melanie means to me? A hug, a kiss, a poem, a gift, a verbal recognition of her value, a prayer said in her presence expressing thanksgiving for how she has impacted my life for good – other actions and words that go beyond serving her but instead are a direct communication of adoration, admiration and gratitude that praises her for what she has meant to my life. It may be important to unscrew the cap on a jar of pickles as an act of service, but I’d be in hot water if that was the full extent of my expression of love. She needs more; she desires more; and I need to give more in order for our relationship to realize its fullest potential.
It is not my intent to be personal but rather to present an analogy. There are two schools of thought regarding “worship”. One concept is that worship is everything we do in life with a view to Jesus being our Lord, Savior and the moral and spiritual center of our being; the other concept acknowledges the central role of Jesus in our lives but differentiates service from worship.
I lean in the direction of this second concept, as illustrated by the above analogy. There is something fundamentally different from serving Christ by supporting the weak or making a moral choice in view of my accountability to His authority and lifting up my voice in a hymn of praise for His love and grace.
“While there is no doubt that we live our lives in such a way as to glorify God, and that every realm of our life ought to reflect our relationship to God as submissive and obedient servants, there is some distinction to be made between a life of faithful service to God and the more specific acts of focusing intently on God, whether privately in our own prayer closet or collectively in the assembly” (David Thomley, "In Spirit and Truth," 2005 Florida College Lectures, p. 22).
After Jesus’ 40-day fast in the wilderness, Satan tempted Him: “All these things [kingdoms, verse 8] I will give you if You will fall down and worship me” (Matt. 4:9). “Fall down” suggests an overt act of obeisance: “As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter lifted him up, saying ‘Stand up; I myself am also a man’” (Acts 10:25-26). Satan was searching for one moment in which Jesus’ resolve would falter and He would secure His rule by taking the shortcut – worshiping Satan instead of going to the cross.
Let’s look at the flip side: When Peter was standing incognito by the fire, surrounded by enemies as Jesus was being examined by the Sanhedrin, he succumbed to fear and denied the Lord. Peter “served” Satan; he did Satan’s will. But he did not “worship” Satan; i.e., he did not consciously praise the person and values of Satan. Serve, yes; worship, no.
Worship of God is a conscious offering of praise and adoration. Worshiping “in spirit” is a rational and deliberate acknowledgment of God’s divine nature and works and gratitude for His goodness. The word most often translated “worship” in the New Testament is proskuneo: “’to make obeisance, do reverence to’ (from pros, ‘towards,’ and kuneo, ‘to kiss’). … It is used of an act of homage or reverence” (Vine, p. 686).
Perhaps some of this discussion is semantics, but sometimes such distinctions support false ideas. Regardless of the specific verbiage, we must devote to God all that is due Him. He must permeate our conscious mind so that our thought and action is crafted to please Him. And we must directly express to Him our love and gratitude, “worship” Him, if you please, so that the most important relationship of all reaches its fullest potential.
