True and Proper Worship

Posted On January 2, 2022

“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

When we hear the word worship, we often think of a church service: singing songs, praying together, putting some money in the offering plate, listening to a sermon, and then spending a few minutes in fellowship before heading to lunch. While all of this, if done with a worshipful attitude, does indeed honor and please God, apparently that’s not all that worship entails. In Old Testament times, a worship service involved going to the temple to offer animal sacrifices to atone for sins. Paul said in Romans 12:1 (NIV) that our “true and proper worship” is to offer our bodies as “a living sacrifice.” What does that mean?

It sounds a little scary, and I couldn’t help but think of the scene in The Wizard of Oz where Dorothy and friends fearfully approach the throne room of “Oz, the Great and Powerful” to ask for the things they want. I remember watching this as a kid and being terrified of the wizard. He was so loud and frightening and just plain mean. He promised to give them what they wanted, but only if they first completed a nearly impossible task for him in order to prove themselves worthy.

Thankfully, our heavenly Father is nothing like the scary Wizard of Oz. We don’t have to be afraid to approach Him, and we don’t have to do anything to prove ourselves to Him. All He wants from us is, well, us. He wants a relationship with us. He wants to love us and He wants us to love Him in return. He wants us to live our lives in His loving care. He’s got amazing plans for us, but we have to be willing to let Him use every aspect of our lives. We have to trust Him and surrender control to Him so that He can lead us to the wonderful things He has in store!

“The Lord doesn’t just want things from you — He wants you. His desire is not merely for you to make sacrifices, but for you to be fully surrendered for His use. This means it’s not just your external acts that need to be put on the altar today. It is not just your tithe, a particular habit, or some treasured object. Your heart — in fact, everything about you — is the sacrifice your heavenly Father requires.”

Charles F. Stanley, God’s Purpose for Your Life

Being a Christian Woman (or Man)

Here is Romans 12:1 again in The Message version:

“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.”

Romans 12:1 MSG

So, “true and proper” worship means to live for God in thanksgiving for all He does for us. To offer ourselves body, mind, soul, and heart to Him. To surrender all our longings, hopes, and dreams to Him. To let Him write the story of our life and then offer it right back to Him as a gift. To worship God also means to acknowledge that since we belong to Him, we should honor Him with everything we say or do, even when that’s hard. In keeping with The Wizard of Oz theme, here is an example of Aunt Em showing what it means to be “a Christian woman” in a difficult situation:

“And never let ugly or hateful words come from your mouth, but instead let your words become beautiful gifts that encourage others; do this by speaking words of grace to help them. The Holy Spirit of God has sealed you in Jesus Christ until you experience your full salvation. So never grieve the Spirit of God or take for granted his holy influence in your life.”

Ephesians 4:29-30 TPT

How many of us wanted Aunt Em to let mean old Miss Gulch really have it?! I know I always did. I remember being so surprised at her restraint, and watching it now, I am humbled. I realize how often I have let “ugly” words come out of my mouth, words that have hurt or discouraged others. Thinking about it now makes me feel horrible and wonder why in the world I did it. The more I think about it, the more I realize that my thinking is where my problem began in the first place.

“Always having a reason to give thanks doesn’t mean giving thanks is always easy. Some days, choosing gratitude for sure things — because desired things are off the table — is a sacrifice. It’s a pledge we make even when we don’t feel it because we know, no matter how we feel, God is worthy of our praise.”

The Weekly Gratitude Project

Scripture is full of instructions to guard our thoughts, watch what we say, and be thankful. When we ignore these warnings, the result is not pretty. To be serious about guarding our words, we have to get serious about guarding our thoughts and attitudes. When we choose to focus on God and thank Him for His love and His blessings, we keep negative thoughts at bay. When we refuse to let hurts, fears, worries, or stresses gain a foothold in our minds, and choose instead to praise Him whether we “feel” it or not, we give Him true and proper worship. And we give the Holy Spirit access to work in our hearts and minds so that He can keep transforming us into the image of Christ. That’s what being a Christian — woman or man — is all about!

“He wants you to reflect His character (Romans 8:29). God wants His spiritual fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control to flow through you (Galatians 5:22-23). To Him, that is always far more important than outward sacrifices.”

Charles F. Stanley, God’s Purpose for Your Life

If I Only Had a Brain

“If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you.
He will not rebuke you for asking.”

James 1:5 NLT

So if you’re like me, you may be thinking, “Great! I’m ready to do what God wants me to do! . . . So what does God want me to do . . . exactly?” God gives us general instructions in the Bible, things He wants all of His followers to do. But what about God’s specific will for our lives? How do we know what to do and in which direction to go? He will tell us. We just have to ask Him.

However, from personal experience, I have to warn you it’s not always easy to hear and understand exactly what He’s saying. He may give us a glimpse of where He wants us to end up, but He doesn’t always supply many details. The reason for this is that His goal is for us to have a trusting relationship with Him. He’s not just a great and powerful wizard who will give us the answers we seek in exchange for proper tribute. He is our loving heavenly Father and He wants so much more than for us to do things for Him. He wants us to be with Him. He doesn’t just want to tell us how to reach our destination and send us on our way. He wants to come along with us and guide us step by step, transforming us through the journey.

“God is committed to your success — the Lord is dedicated to helping you experience Him, the purposes you were created for, and the full expression of your potential. That means His will for you is not unreachable. In fact, He is constantly communicating it to you. If you set your heart to love and seek Him, He will take you there. So today, don’t take the frustrating path of trying to guess God’s mind. Rather, seek Him, trust Him to disclose His plans, obey Him, and He will direct your course.”

Charles F. Stanley, God’s Purpose for Your Life

A lesson God has been trying to get across to me lately is this: Don’t try so hard to figure everything out! Seek God first and the answers will come. He will get us where we need to go as long as we keep seeking Him and keep trusting Him. It’s a long, sometimes painfully slow process. But it’s how He works. While we’re waiting for answers about what to do next, it’s important that we obey what He’s already told us. Usually, in my case anyway, more knowledge isn’t what’s needed — it’s more obedience. He won’t lead us forward until we have mastered the lessons He’s trying to teach us right now. So a good rule of thumb while we’re waiting for further instructions is this:

“And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.”

Colossians 3:17 NLT

If I Only Had a Heart

“We love because he first loved us.”

1 John 4:19 NIV

No matter what God tells us to do, He will always tell us to do it in love — because God is love. We must love Him and love others, and we must do so with the same kind of love He has given us. So the first step is to accept His love. We must know, really know deep down, that He loves us completely and unconditionally. And then we must let His love overtake us and transform us from the inside out.

“Do you believe in the love God has for you? Do you trust His love — that it isn’t like human love, which is unreliable and may wound you, but is unconditional, and He always works for your good? . . . You absolutely cannot stop Him from loving you. So stop telling yourself He doesn’t. Embrace His love, and love Him in return. . . . Finally, as we express affection for Him, He teaches us how to love as He does — how to give and receive love in the most fulfilling, divine manner possible. So yes, love God. Even if you’re not sure how — just open your heart to Him and simply express how wonderful He is and how grateful you are for Him.”

Charles F. Stanley, God’s Purpose for Your Life

Accepting God’s love is not optional. We simply cannot learn to love Him or love others until we first let Him love us. So spend time reflecting on His perfect love. Then intentionally make time to thank Him and praise Him for it. I am talking to myself here more than anyone. When I don’t do this, I begin to doubt my self-worth, and this makes it difficult for me to make any progress in my spiritual journey. So I must remember every minute how much God loves me. This will help me readjust my thinking so that I can be filled with gratitude and praise. This will overflow my heart so that His love spills out to everyone I meet. The same is true for all of us.

“Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.”

Hebrews 13:15-16 NLT

If I Only Had the Nerve

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9 NIV

God promises to be with us everywhere all the time. He promises to give us everything we need to do His work. And He promises never to give us more than we can handle with His help. So we have no reason to fear. If He tells us to do something, He will make sure we are able to do it. He doesn’t promise that the journey will be easy, but He promises to be with us every step of the way.

“Following Jesus has a cost, and each of us must be ready to serve, even when it requires sacrifice.”

The Chronological Life Application Study Bible

Jesus asks us to pick up our cross and follow Him, not sit back and relax while He does all the work. The life we’re called to is not a life of leisure. It’s a life of service. And often that service will involve sacrifices. We’ve got to have the courage to let go of our old lives and trust that if God asks us to let go of something, it’s so that our hands will be free to accept something even better. The Christian life is more rewarding and abundant than anything we could achieve, or even imagine, on our own. So we should never hesitate to obey God. If God is leading us to do something, the time to do it is right now.

“Today, do what you think God is calling you to do — regardless of whether you are sure of His course or not. If the Lord is showing you to take a step of faith . . . do it. If He says, ‘Be still and wait before Me,’ clear the time and listen for Him. Of course, you may be wondering, ‘What if I do so and get it wrong — I don’t do precisely what He wants me to do?’ Then be assured He’ll correct your course and show you what to do. . . . He will reveal to you the doors that He wants you to move through, but first you must go through the ones He’s already opened.”

Charles F. Stanley, God’s Purpose for Your Life

The truth is we will never be 100% sure that God has called us to do something. I have made many mistakes trying to interpret His instructions, but He keeps easing me back onto the right path. The key is to be willing to let Him use us for His purposes. He can’t work with us if we are afraid to get up and get moving. We can’t let fear of making a mistake stop us. We’ve got to seek His will and pray for guidance. But then we have to get going! We have to bravely step out in faith and trust Him to guide us.

Ease on Down the Road

“God’s will for your life is for you to look like Jesus — reflecting His character, purposes, and mission. This process of transforming you into Christ’s likeness progresses as you present yourself as a holy sacrifice unto the Lord in increasing measure (Romans 12:1-2).”

Charles F. Stanley, God’s Purpose for Your Life

So as we begin the new year making resolutions to be better versions of ourselves, let’s remember that it all starts with God. We must seek Him first in all our plans, and then everything else will fall into place. If we trust and obey Him in all that we do, He will make us into the best version of ourselves we could possibly hope for: He will make us like Christ. Not only that, He will free us from any burdens weighing us down and He will lead us to amazing things more wonderful than we could ever imagine. So what is our true and proper worship? To live for Him and let Him lead us. Let’s get going!

“What can we bring to the Lord?
Should we bring him burnt offerings? . . .
No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good,
and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God.”

Micah 6:6,8 NLT

This week’s Scripture passages focus on wisdom, love, courage, and walking with our Lord. I also couldn’t end this post without including a video of my favorite song from The Wiz. (I was a HUGE Michael Jackson fan back in the day!) I hope you enjoy it. And I hope it’s a good reminder that while Jesus doesn’t promise our spiritual journey will be a life of ease, He does promise to free us from our burdens so we can “Ease On Down the Road” with Him by our side. Have a blessed new year, my friends!

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Matthew 11:28-30 MSG

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”

Hebrews 12:1 NLT

References:

• “Aunt Em Yells at Internet.” YouTube, uploaded by moviequotescentral, 13 April 2013, https://youtu.be/6jcm4kwmz44.
• Chronological Life Application Study Bible, New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. 2012.
• Stanley, Charles F. God’s Purpose for Your Life: 365 Devotions. Thomas Nelson, 2020.
• The Weekly Gratitude Project: A Challenge to Journal, Reflect, and Grow a Grateful Heart. Zondervan, 2020.
• The Wiz. Dir. Sidney Lumet. Motown Productions, 1978.
• “The Wiz | ‘Ease On Down the Road’ Performed by Diana Ross and Michael Jackson.” YouTube, uploaded by Universal Pictures, 14 March 2020, https://youtu.be/uNKmKOjGUbw.
• The Wizard of Oz. Dir. Victor Fleming. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1939.

Images:

• Poppy Field featured image by Roman Grac from Pixabay
• Emerald City image from “The Wizard Of Oz _ Emerald City.” YouTube, uploaded by Michael, 21 February 2018, https://youtu.be/jPeLYbi5ZvM.
• Book image by congerdesign from Pixabay
• Scarecrow image from “The Wizard Of Oz(1939) – The Scarecrow.” YouTube, uploaded by MOV Clips, 13 September 2020, https://youtu.be/iFuFnRLRb_E.
• Tin Man image from “The Wizard Of Oz(1939) – The Tin Man.” YouTube, uploaded by MOV Clips, 13 September 2020, https://youtu.be/yKKPepsQEfI.
• Lion image from “The Wizard Of Oz: Meeting The Wizard Of Oz (1939).” YouTube, uploaded by Shaun O’Hagan, 28 January 2019, https://youtu.be/I-WX5-WexvE.
• Brick Road image by bluebudgie from Pixabay (edited by me)