Worship That Pleases God
by Rick Warren
Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’” Mark 12:29-30 (NLT)
God doesn’t want a part of your life. He asks for all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. He’s not interested in half-hearted commitment, partial obedience, and the leftovers of your time and money. He desires your full devotion.
A Samaritan woman once tried to debate Jesus on the best time, place, and style for worship. Jesus replied that these external issues are irrelevant. Where you worship is not as important as why you worship and how much of yourself you offer to God when you worship.
The Bible teaches worship that pleases God has four characteristics:
God is pleased when our worship is accurate.
God is pleased when our worship is authentic.
God is pleased when our worship is thoughtful.
God is pleased when our worship is practical.
When Jesus said, “Love God with all your strength,” he was saying that worship takes effort and energy. It’s not always convenient or comfortable, and sometimes worship is a sheer act of the will - a willing sacrifice.
When you praise God even when you don’t feel like it, when you get out of bed to worship when you’re tired, or when you help others when you’re worn out, you’re offering a sacrifice of worship to God.
And that pleases God.
© 2008 Purpose Driven Life
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