What to Do When Worship Becomes Work

Looking back 10 years ago, worship was not a regular part of my life. I sometimes took my family to church, but spent most of the opening worship set checking my watch to see when the message (something I could perhaps learn something from) would finally start. To me, “worship” was like the opening act of a concert, and not a very good one at that.  

And while I kept my eyes glued to the clock, my daughter, Bryn, was equally if not less invested than I was. For her, church was a check in the box and worship wasn’t even the opening act; it was a total snooze-fest she wasn’t even willing to stand up for. We were the “frozen chosen” as some would say, believers stuck in apathy and compromise. The posture of our lives, and our bodies, showed the true position of our hearts.  

All About Him

For most people, worship is relegated to the opening of a church service or the playlist they occasionally put on in the car. While both are good, they are limited views of God’s heart for worship.  

I know now that true worship is not just about worshiping God with our voices lifted and hands raised, though I now covet that time with the Lord. Worship is meant to be our Kingdom lifestyle. It’s less about those 20 minutes on Sunday morning, and more about how we live our lives. 

True worship is:

1. Giving God our praise and adoration;
2. Delighting in God; 
3. Making God the center of our lives;
4. Expressing our love to God;
5. And valuing God above all else. 

Worship connects us to the Father, bringing us into closer relationship with Him. We can worship God anytime, any day of the week, under any circumstances. Worship can look like: 

1. Obedience
2. Loving others
3. Singing
4. Preaching
5. Praying
6. Giving
7. Meditating on His Attributes
8. Resting in His presence 
9. Thankfulness 
10. Working
11. Spending quality time with family
12. Faithfulness 
13. Generosity
14. Laughter

The list is endless! It is simply life with God as we seek His Kingdom first. We can do any of these things at any point in our day. As you open your laptop… ask God to help you minister to your clients with each conversation. As you put in a load of laundry… thank God for His provision over your family. On your next run… enjoy the beauty of God’s creation. As you fall asleep at night… rest in God’s presence, trusting He will be with you always. Our whole lives are an opportunity to worship.  

“Worship is the submission of all our nature to God… the submission of will to His purpose…” — William Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury 

Just Another Sunday

A good friend and mentor of mine, Ed Silvoso of Harvest International and Transform Our World Network, says, “Labor is the premier expression of worship on Earth, and every believer is a minister.” In fact, the Hebrew word abad used in Scripture means both “work” and “worship.” The two are intrinsically linked! It’s critical, however, that we understand which comes first. 

When we leave worship exclusively to the opening of our service time, it is a disservice to God, ourselves, and our congregations. Worship becomes work and our work ceases to become worship. God, however, has designed us to partner with Him in all that we do. 

“Forms and rituals do not produce worship, nor does the disuse of forms and rituals. We can use all the right techniques and methods, we can have the best possible liturgy, but we have not worshiped the Lord until Spirit touches spirit… Singing, praying, praising all may lead to worship, but worship is more than any of them. Our spirit must be ignited by the divine fire.” —Richard J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline 

Mark 12:30 says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” In other words, we are to praise God first, out of which flows service. According to Richard J. Foster, “Service as a substitute for worship is idolatry.” It’s easy for any of us, pastor, minister, or otherwise, to put the work before the worship. When we put worship before the work, our work becomes worship. 

If you are a pastor or ministry leader, has worship become just the minutes on your Sunday morning production schedule? Do you spend your time in the front row waiting for “the wink” from your worship leader so you can make your way on stage for the opening prayer?  

What would it look like to put worship before work in your everyday life? I encourage you to look for reasons to praise God as you wake up in the morning, drink your morning coffee, notice the slightly cooler weather as autumn begins, or tuck your kids in at night. If you can find Him in those moments, I bet you’ll find Him on Sunday morning.  

Worship Starts Here

It’s been seven years since I truly submitted my life to God, making Him Lord over all of me. There have been many highs and lows as I have grown closer in my relationship with Him, but for a man who used to live life on his own terms, I can’t imagine doing anything without God’s presence guiding me. Now, I don’t just worship Him on Sundays, I find myself overwhelmed by His goodness as I drive to work, minister to others, or spend time with family. 
As I mention in my book More Than Gold, praise releases God’s power, it heals, and it fills and transforms our entire lives. It will even transform your attitude toward work and those your work for and with. Everything we do is an opportunity to glorify God; every opportunity is a chance to grow deeper in our relationship with Him. 

Inspiration for this blog comes from Bryan’s new book, More Than Gold: Reflections on Living in Glorious Freedom, now available in hardcover and on Audible! For more on this topic, tune into our podcast, The Father Pursuit: An Invitation to Prayer and Worship.