Far from being a rare phenomenon, or limited to religious structures or events, we experience worship as naturally as we do breathing. We’re made for it. But why, in fact, do we struggle to turn our attention to God in worship? Unfortunately, our soul’s capacity to be enraptured is not terribly discriminating about the objects of our worship. If one could see the transcript of our daily thoughts and words, it would be clear that we devote much of our emotional and spiritual energy to people, things, and even ideas that become our mini-gods. The unintended objects of our worship.

Here’s the catch: we eventually give ourselves over to whatever it is we worship. This puts us in a rather precarious place spiritually since we tend to worship things never intended to bear the full weight of a human soul. Still wondering yet what you might worship? Here are a few classic devotion-stealers: we worship careers, children, and causes; we worship body-types, fashion designers, and celebrities. We worship coffee, romantic relationships, ideas, and yes, even ourselves. The human soul is drawn to lose itself in the infinite “other.” We are both profoundly capable and inwardly inclined to be consumed with love, admiration, desire, and devotion.

This tendency to give ourselves over to the object of worship is precisely why God, in tones of tender warning and concern, implores us to refrain from giving our worship to anything or anyone other than Himself.  When we give ourselves over to a “lesser god”, it is only a matter of time before the object of our worship is exposed in its insufficiency. And that moment can feel like death. And yes, very slowly perhaps at first, we can have the very life sucked out of us. Only the immensity, vastness, deep goodness and fully aliveness of the living God can contain and fulfill the human soul.

So what would worship look like for you? The answer may surprise you. Author of The Spiritual Disciplines Handbook Adele Calhoun writes, “worship happens when we intentionally cherish God and value him above all else in life.” That leaves the door wide open!

So feel free to experiment and find expressions of worship that bring you to reflect and cherish  the goodness and majesty and power and compassion—the very person—of God. Explore avenues of public or private worship that move your heart to greater trust, greater love, greater courage, and greater faith. With great abandon, throw your whole heart into it! Into worship. Into God.

You’ll be consumed by the very love that draws you to Itself, and you’ll come away more like that love yourself. You will be transformed, in life-giving ways, by the object of your worship.

Discuss!

Excerpt from Faith Books and Spiritual Journaling (2006, Quarry Press).