"I love the sense of satisfaction that I get when I’ve done a swimming workout or race, and know that I gave my whole being and heart to God in every moment of the swim. It’s the best worship I can offer him."
Real worship
The Lord says: These people come near to me with their mouth and honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught. Isaiah 29:13As modern Christians we know the truth that Isaiah is expressing – sometimes. We know that Jesus said that true worship was worshipping God “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24) but don’t we fall into the trap of thinking we need to keep the rules to please God.
If we don’t read the Bible or if we miss church we feel guilty. Of course, it is good to read the Bible and allow God to speak to us and it is good to go to church to receive good teaching, have fellowship and receive the bread and wine but we don’t get Brownie points* in God’s eyes for it.
In some ways a religion requiring you to tick boxes by giving a percentage of income, attending a weekly meeting, helping someone once a week would be easier but it is not Christianity. God wants us to be in relationship with him, to love him, obey him, serve him, worship him every moment of every day – not by being in church every moment but by living our lives for Him. When we do “good” things God is less concerned by what we do than by our attitude our motivation or, as Isaiah would say, our heart.
Today as you train, compete or just do the laundry, do it to honour God by your attitude, by how you interact with people you meet. Be motivated by love for God not a sense of having to keep the rules.
*Brownie points in modern usage are a hypothetical social currency which can be acquired by doing good deeds or earning favor in the eyes of another, often one's superior, originally associated with the Brownies (Junior Girl Guides).