Therefore, let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe.

Hebrews 12:28 (ESV)

 

One of the reasons many of us struggle with worship is because we are easily distracted and have difficulty focus on God. When God is not at the centre of your life, you will worship Him out of convenience or fear, rather than love. The true question is not whether we worship, but rather who or what we worship.

The Greek word for "offer" is latreuo. It was first used by Jews to describe the priestly acts of worship and service in the Temple. However, the Apostle Paul redefined “offer” in the context of the New Covenant, stating that all Christians are now priests serving the living God.

People used to be unable to approach God directly, and instead had to rely on priests to make their offerings for them. Grace, however, changes everything. We can come boldly before God's throne with full confidence because of Christ's one perfect sacrifice, knowing that we will always receive mercy and find grace when we need it most (Hebrews 4:16).

It is wonderful that God is so accessible, and we don’t need to earn the right to speak or pray to Him. Our acceptable worship is to surrender ourselves as “living sacrifices” ready to give our lives in service to our Lord (Romans 12:1-3). Surrender is different from sacrifice. A sacrifice costs something, whereas surrender costs everything.

When we surrender to God, our worship and service becomes more genuine and heartfelt. Instead of feeling strenuous, His Spirit sustains us and continues to “breathe life” into everything we do for God’s glory and His Kingdom.