What Is Worship (part 2)

In my last entry, I focused on how our giving of tithe and offering reveals how and what we worship. This time I want to take a look at another aspect of worship. First, let me again state that worship is not simply something we do during that set time at church where we sing and clap our hands. In my view, that is the absolute smallest part of worship there is. Worship is how we live our lives.  So, with that said, then we must honestly ask, "how do I live my life?" We need to ask not only if our life points others to Christ, but does the way I live my life say to Jesus, "I love you"? Do my actions, my deeds, and my words reflect that our hearts belong to God? If our discussion is focused on worldly things that do not line up with Godly living, then we are not worshipping God. If our temper, emotional outbursts and the manner in which we treat people is not a reflection of Christ, then we do not understand what worship is. Sometimes, as a Christian, we must be willing to sacrifice our selfish desire to "be right" or to defend ourselves so that Christ might be displayed through us. That does not mean you open yourself up to abuse. You can take a stand, but we must do so in a manner that we are in control of our emotions, our words, and behavior. When we explode with insults and words that are laced with profanity, we display the true nature of our heart. In Matthew 12:34, Jesus said, "Oh generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh."  I like that same verse in the Contemporary English Version. It reads: "You are a bunch of evil snakes, so how can you say anything good? Your words show what is in your hearts."

So, my question today is, what's in your heart? Your words are revealing the real nature of your heart. For some, that means they need to go back and do their first works again and fall in love with Jesus all over again.