True Worship vs. Idol Worship: How to Live a God-Centered Life

Summary

People naturally worship idols, things or desires that capture more devotion than God. True worship requires a foundation in Scripture and a Spirit-led life focused on honoring God continuously, not just on Sundays. Jesus taught that no one could serve two masters, and Paul urged believers to become living sacrifices. True worship results in active love, justice, compassion, obedience, and joy through the Holy Spirit. Worship is a daily lifestyle of putting God first and rejecting anything that replaces Him.

Our Worship Problem

We already have expertise in unbiblical worship. We have years of practice. It has filled every corner and crevice of our being. The ruts of misdirected worship have trapped our wheels.

We unknowingly revealed it when our words and actions expressed more praise, thanksgiving, devotion, and commitment to people or things than to God. We have rarely recognized them as idols, but they have usurped God’s place of preeminence and monopolized our attention.

Scripture Is the Foundation of Worship

Scripture is to worship what a foundation is to a building. It tells us who God is and how to worship Him. “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks” (John 4:23 NIV). True worshippers engage in continuous God-centered-living.

The Rivalry Between God and Materialism

I typed “true worship” into my search engine. Topping the list was “True worship – Prime Day is July 11–12.” Material things often threaten God’s place of supremacy in our lives.

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Matthew 6:24 NIV).

Living Sacrifice: The Heart of Worship

To escape idol worship, we must be living sacrifices for God’s service. It is a prerequisite for being filled with the Holy Spirit. “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 NIV).

What Spirit-Filled Worship Looks Like

When we are filled with the Spirit, God rules our hearts, and we worship Him truly. If the Holy Spirit of God is not in the driver’s seat of our lives, some substitute for Him is. We worship God best, not by singing enthusiastically in a Sunday morning worship service, but by being living sacrifices 24/7.

Beyond Behavioral Checklists

We worship Him by putting Him in the driver’s seat of our lives. What does that look like?

In my growing-up years, I thought a Christian was a person who refrained from a long list of behavioral no-nos. That was wrong. Christians love God, their neighbor, and other believers. They are citizens of God’s Kingdom, and live a life “of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,” (Romans 14:17 NIV).

True Worship Produces Action

They live by God’s power (1 Corinthians 4:20). They free those who are wrongly imprisoned. They lighten the burden on their employees. They free the oppressed by removing their bonds. They share their food with those who are hungry.

They shelter the homeless. They provide clothes for the needy. They help struggling relatives. They feed the hungry and aid those in trouble (Isaiah 58:6-7). They obey and teach God’s way of living (Matthew 5:19). They seek God’s rule and live righteously (Matthew 6:33).

They are born again and receive God’s Kingdom like a child (Mark 10:14-15, John 3:3). They put their hand on the plow and do not look back (Luke 9:62). They give up their house, wives, brothers, parents, or children for the sake of the Kingdom of God (Luke 18:29-30). They suffer many hardships (Acts 14:22). They reject immorality, impurity, and greed (Ephesians 5:5).

Our Purpose on Earth

We are on earth to develop expertise in true worship. We worship God best when we say no to our selfish desires so we can say yes to worshipping Him as a way of life. See additional free spiritual growth resources for Christians.   #freediscipleshipresources #freeevangelismresources #freechristianleadershipresources

God has empowered me to write His Power for Your Weakness—260 Steps Toward Spiritual Strength. It’s a free, evangelistic, devotional, and discipleship e-book. Pastors have used it in Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia to lead 7,541 people to Christ and teach the basics of Christianity to 17,361 people. I invite you to explore and use it in your setting.

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