The Christmas season is a season of worship. One of my favorite parts about this time of year is the Christmas carols, but not just any carol will do. I definitely have rules about Christmas carols.
First, I don’t want to hear any Christmas music until after Thanksgiving. I have this thing about letting each holiday get its own recognition. But as soon as Thanksgiving is over, let the caroling begin!
The next important rule I have is that it must be about Jesus, not winter, and snow, and Santa. I want to sing about my Jesus. I do like the other songs, but when I’m in a spirit of worship, I long to hear Christmas songs about our Lord and Savior’s birth.
“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” Psalms 100:1-5
Worship is our irresistible response to being in the presence of God. Worship is defined as showing reverence and adoration for God.
After seeing Jesus, it says the shepherds “returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, as it was told them” (Luke 2:20); and when they finally found Jesus, the wise men “fell down and worshiped Him. And they presented gifts to Him” (Matthew 2:11).
Today, I want to take a deeper look at what the Bible says about what it means to worship God.
Why Do We Worship God?
- We worship God because He created us.
“You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.” Revelation 4:11
- We worship God because He is the only one worthy of our worship.
“He alone is your God, the only one who is worthy of your praise, the one who has done these mighty miracles that you have seen with your own eyes.” Deuteronomy 10:21
- We worship God because of who He is.
“Give to the Lord the glory He deserves! Bring your offering and come into his presence.” 1 Chronicles 16:29
- We worship God because of what He has done.
“Because of your unfailing love, I can enter your house; I will worship in your Temple with deepest awe.” Psalms 5:7
How Do We Worship God?
- We worship God by the way we choose to live.
“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
- We worship God by using our talents and gifts for His glory.
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms…. to Him be the glory and the power forever and ever.” 1 Peter 4:10-11
- We worship God by singing praise to Him.
“Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things.” Psalms 98:1
What Happens When We Worship God?
- We experience God’s community – fellowship and communion.
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:24-25
- We grow closer to God.
“And I am certain of this, that God, who began the good work within you, will continue to work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” Philippians 1:6
“for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” Philippians 2:13
- We change for the better.
“So all of us who have had the veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord – who is the Spirit – makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.” 2 Corinthians 3:18
Worshiping God Benefits You
Worship is not something we do just for God. It is in our time of worship that we experience a deep, personal, intimate relationship with God. It is in our time of worship that we make ourselves vulnerable, moldable, and shapeable by God. Just like the shepherds and the wise men, once you have experienced God’s presence in your life, you will never be the same again.
If you would like to read more on this topic of worship, I wrote an article last June for ibelieve.com titled “How to Worship God Through Holy Surrender.” Click here to read this article.
To follow the whole series of Journey to Christmas, click here: https://jenniferjabbour.com/the-journey-to-christmas-advent-series/
What do you think?