“Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.”
Romans 6:12-13 NLT
Did you know there is a battle being fought in your life?
Right now, today, there is a battle to take over the throne of your heart. And according to today’s scripture, ultimately, the battle taking place in your whole body is a fight over what you worship.
So, what does worship have to do with it?
As I was preparing to become a pastor, a short little book written by pastor Louie Giglio forever changed the way I think about worship. Prior to reading it, I thought about worship only in terms of music. And indeed, worship music plays an important part in our church services, but worship is so much more than music. Worship is all about our hearts and what is most important to us. Let me share with you the particular quote from Louie’s book that changed my life:
“Worship is our response to what we value most. So, how do you know where and what you worship? It’s easy. You simply follow the trail of your time, your affection, your energy, your money, and your allegiance. At the end of that trail, you’ll find a throne; and whatever, or whomever, is on that throne is what’s of highest value to you. On that throne is what you worship…the trail never lies.”
(The Air I Breathe: Worship as a Way of Life – Louie Giglio.)
What you value most is seated on your throne. It could be something really worthwhile – family, a relationship, your career, reputation. None of those things are inherently bad. But when they become the things of the highest value in your life, they become what you worship.
Anything we worship other than God is idolatry.
Idolatry is defined as when a good thing becomes a ‘god-thing.’ We are constantly in a battle with the many things that try to take the throne of our hearts.
When the One worthy of our worship, Jesus, is seated on the throne of your life, sin loses its power. There is peace. Our time, affection, energy, money, and allegiance become focused on Him and living for His glory.
Questions:
- What is trying to creep onto the throne of your heart?
- What good things are trying to be god-things?
- Are you taking the battle over your worship seriously?
Yes, worship includes the songs we sing on Sundays. These songs help point our hearts to Jesus. But remember, worship is the response to what you value most—and Jesus has the utmost value!
So, let’s throw aside all the other stuff.
There’s simply no competition!
Taken from a sermon by George Wright, Senior Pastor, Shades Mountain Baptist Church
DIG DEEPER
Read “What Does Worship Look Like?” by Jonathan Munson
