Human beings are destined for worship. Not to be worshiped, but to worship. We all worship something—even if that something is ourselves. It is a uniquely human thing, but where does this desire come from?

For Believers who know and recognize the Creator and His creation, we understand this desire was intentionally built into the DNA of who we are. God gave us the desire to worship so we wouldn’t lose sight of who we are and Whose we are. We owe everything to God, and through our worship we proclaim our gratitude and declare our willingness to submit to His sovereign will.

But is everything our modern society teaches us really true worship?

How We Worship Matters

“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who Him must worship is spirit and truth.” John 4:23-24 _NKJV

It is easy to fall into the popular mindset that music if worship. It is not. Music may be an expression of worship. Music itself can only produce emotion, and emotion is not worship. We may experience strong emotions while worshiping, but unless those emotions are first grounded in the truth of Who God is and who we are, they are meaningless and possibly misleading.

Who or What We Worship

Many popular praise songs, pastors, teachers, and self-improvement books fix our gaze on . . . ourselves. Though we are designed to make God the recipient of our devotion, in our fallen state we will look to things that make us feel good. Things that stir our emotions but do little to elevate God’s sovereignty.

“True worship is to be so personally and hopelessly in love with God, that the idea of a transfer of affection never even remotely exists.”  ~A.W. Tozer

In Spirit and Truth

The kind of knowledge required to worship God in spirit and truth comes through the intentional act of getting to know God as deeply as possible.

And the more we know God, the more we understand how much owe Him. His mercies are new every morning (see Lamentations 3:22-24_NKJV)—mercies like forgiveness of sins, redemption, eternal life, wisdom and guidance, the renewing of my mind, and the ability to appreciate beauty. That alone should cause us to walk through our days in a continual awe and humbleness of spirit. Such a state would be a true sign of worshiping in spirit and truth.

Are we more concerned with the music than we are with the message the words proclaim? Are we more attracted to the teachings of a pastor that makes us feel good about ourselves? Are our shelves lined with books where the primary subject is me?

Or do we seek the things that point us to God, that take us deeper into the truth of His sovereignty, and stir in us a desire to surrender to our Creator?

May we worship the Lord alone in spirit and truth or may we not worship at all.