One evening last week as I was enjoying a relaxing evening with my wife, we decided to spend some time listening to a recent sermon by a well-known pastor.  I found his remarks on worship to be very interesting and informative.  Then, he made a simple statement that cut me to heart as I saw the truth of my own sin and compromised heart.

He used the term, “flattery” to describe how it is that we often worship God with some ulterior motivation to get something from Him. I immediately saw how many times in my own life I had done this.  The point of his message was not to show me what a sinner I was, but to bring out the simple truth that the main reason we worship God is simply because He is absolutely worthy of all our worship and praise!

Revelation 4:11“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,

to receive glory and honor and power,

for you created all things,

and by your will they existed and were created.”

After confessing how often I had attempted to flatter God, I was so much more aware of the simple opportunity of my heart to give Him praise and worship in a pure and focused way.  Our main purpose and calling in this life is to learn to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.  The bullseye of this call is simple, sincere, worship and prayer;worship that is focused on the simple truth that our God deserves it all!  Our God is worthy of our lives spent in the devotion of worship and sincere prayer. The fact that He invites us to come and bring our requests and needs to Him is a secondary part of the relationship, and an expression of His love for us.  I want to challenge you to make the first focus of all your time with Jesus to love and adore Him.  Consider His beauty, His abundant grace, His creative power, His skill at redemption and praise Him for it.  He is worthy.  This reorientation of our hearts is the foundation for all real growth in Christ.   I pray that your love for God will flourish!