By Rex Stump
What does it mean to worship God? Is it a time of singing? Is it a time of prayer? Do we say it is an hour of our time spent with a group of people in a room on Sunday morning (or another designated hour)?
Do we get more specific and categorize worship as the time in which we sing a block of songs to God during our church service?
Often, we categorize worship as a time of singing songs to God. (Unfortunately, sometimes we sing songs that focus more on how we feel about ourselves more than on the character and greatness of God.) But worship is more than singing.
One of the Hebrew words for worship is the word “avad.” We read in Exodus 3:12 that when Moses encountered God in the burning bush moment, God told Moses, “I will be with you. And this is your sign that I am the one who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship (avad) God at this very mountain.” Later in Exodus 9:1 we read, “Go back to Pharaoh,” the Lord commanded Moses. “Tell him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so they can worship (avad) me.”
But this word is also translated to “serve” or “work.” In Exodus 34, Moses is addressing God’s people with His commands, “Six days you shall work (avad), but on the seventh day you shall rest. In plowing time and in harvest you shall rest.” (ESV). Did you catch that? Same word, “avad” is used in describing work.
I believe worship is more than just 20 minutes of singing, more than just an hour event on Sunday morning, or a time of quiet devotion to God. Worship includes singing, praying, AND working, playing, serving, and even learning at school.
Maybe this is why the Apostle Paul said, “Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.” (Colossians 3:16-17)
How would our attitudes and actions toward work, practice, and school change if we saw these as moments of worshipping God? God gave us minds to use at school. God gave us skills to use in competition. God gave us purpose and abilities to use at our places of employment.
In each of these moments we don’t worship what we are doing, but we consider them moments to worship God.
All we have has been given to us by God, and to consider these moments as a time to give God glory.
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Rex Stump is the Area Director for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and serves as a Pastor at True North Church in Wauseon, Ohio.