What does worship mean to me? That is a loaded question. I could give you the textbook definition. Dictionary.com says that it is both a noun and a verb, with several different definitions. Below are my two favorites of the ones they list.
Noun: reverent honor and homage paid to God or a sacred personage, or to any object regarded as sacred.
Verb (used with object): to feel an adoring reverence or regard for (any person or thing).
So there's that, but that's not all there is. There's something that happens when you spend time in focused worship.
Worship is life. It's an attitude. It's finding God in the darkness. It's finding His goodness despite the pain.
But of course, it's never that easy. That's why worship is, at its core, a response to what God is already doing. Jesus is at the Father's side interceding for us. Everything we do is in response to this, in response to Him calling out to us.
Worship is something where we come to a place where we focus on God. It's a place where we can give our worries and troubles over to Him. It's where we can surrender all of it over to Him, the good and the bad. Psalm 62:5-8 says:
5 Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
my hope comes from him.
6 Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
7 My salvation and my honor depend on God;
he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
8 Trust in him at all times, you people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge.
This is what most people think of when they think of worship. They think of the time one takes from a day to listen to music and sing and praise God through that. Yes, this is worship. But it's not the only way a person worships God.
All of creation is crying out praise to God. We can see Him in the complexity of the tree leaves, the intricacies of snowflakes. We can feel Him in the gentle breeze, hear Him in the sound of the rain. He created all of this, and we see evidence of His glory in all of nature. Worship is finding God despite the pain and anguish we find in the world.
Worship is finding God on the top of the mountain and in the bottom of the valley. It's listening to and responding to what He has to say. It's seeking His advice in the big things and the little things. It's praising Him in the storm and when everything is peachy keen. It's praising Him with everything we do.
While we can understand all this about worship, there's so much we still don't know. There's so much we don't understand. In no way is what I've said here the end all to any description of worship. Worship is this intangible thing that every Christian participates in, but it's so important to try to understand it.
