Before we can be of use in God’s service, we must first be a worshiper. Doing much activity for God is meaningless if it does not come from a person who’s heart is not passionately devoted to the Lord. If we are not people who are continually moved by God’s majesty, then there is not much good we can do in serving God. Good workers for God are firstly good worshipers.
A.W Tozer writes in “Whatever happened to worship?” (1963): “I am of the opinion that we should not be concerned about working for God until we have learned the meaning and delight of worshiping Him.”
It is more important to have our hearts devoted to God, than to be busy doing things for God. Even in everyday human relationships we know that a gift that is given to someone without love has no meaning. It can be a very expensive gift, but if it is not given in love, it has little if any meaning. God knows our hearts, and He knows when we offer Him something without full devotion.
One of the things that has characterised all of God’s faithful servants is that they never stopped being amazed by God’s glory. When they got towards the end of their lives, they were still moved by the truths of God. They didn’t get tired of God’s works, they didn’t become so familiar with God that they lost their sense of wonder and amazement. There was always something about God’s character and works that kept them totally captivated until their last day. One such man was Paul. He never got tired of witnessing to what Jesus had done. When he reached Rome after many trials and difficulties, the first thing he wants to do is tell his brothers, the Jews, about the grace of Jesus Christ. He kept the fire burning, kept His eyes on the Lord, until the very end.
But sadly in our day, many people who profess to know God have become too familiar with God. They’re no longer touched, no longer moved by what Jesus has done for them. We live in a culture that is always looking for something new and interesting. We want something new to entertain us and captivate us. But what we so desperately need is to continue to be amazed at God’s character and His works. We need to stop being so fascinated by the things this world creates, and to live in continual wonder at the riches of God’s grace. What does it say about our level of spiritual growth and our love for the Lord, when we can focus on human entertainment for hours, but can only give little attention to spiritual matters?
The Psalmist David said in Psalm 27:4:
“One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.”
David’s one desire that outweighed every other ambition that he had was to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord all his days. He knew that God’s beauty was so amazing and deep, that He would never stop being touched by continuing to keep His eyes on the Lord. David was a king who had so much at his disposal, and yet it was keeping His eyes on the beauty of the Lord that was more valuable to him than all the riches and pleasures of the world.
Now that is the type of person that God will use. We all have a lot of work to do to be such a person. Many people have become tired, and have lost the first love they had for the Lord. Sometimes we can make the mistake of doing a lot of things, even for God, but not doing it from a heart that truly worships Him.
May we learn to be true worshipers.
