Worship is a central part of Christianity.
But have you ever taken a step back to ask…
Why do we actually worship God?
Is it just something Christians are supposed to do?
Is it something Christians invented because they like singing?
Or is there something deeper going on?
The Bible gives us a clear answer.
We worship God for many reasons – but they all ultimately point back to who God is and who we are in relation to him.
In this article we will explore six key reasons why Christians worship.
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1. We worship because we were created for it
Worship isn’t something Christians invented because they like singing!
We worship because that is what we were created to do.
It is what we were made for.
Human beings are inherently worshipping creatures.
We see that all around us in society.
We all worship something:
- success
- relationships
- happiness
- approval
- money
- control
- social media
- football
Whatever we pursue, whatever we prioritise, whatever has first place in our hearts – that is what we worship.
The question is never WHETHER we will worship, but only WHAT we will choose to worship.
We all have this inbuild desire to bow down to something or someone.
But only when we worship God, do we truly step in to who we were meant to be and truly live the life we were meant to live.
The Bible explains why:
“Bring all who claim me as their God, for I have made them for my glory. It was I who created them.” – Isaiah 43:7 (NLT)
We were created to worship God alone.
Until we do, something else will always take his place. And that thing will always leave us feeling dissatisfied, disappointed and unfulfilled.
2. We worship because God alone is worthy
At the heart of worship is one simple truth:
God alone is worthy of our worship.
Revelation explains why:
“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” – Revelation 4:11 (NIV)
Everything we are and everything we have comes from God.
He gave us life.
He sustains us every moment.
Every breath we take is a gift from him.
Without God, we quite literally would not exist.
Worship is quite simply the only logical response to who God is and what he has done for us.
3. We worship because of God’s mercy in Christ
If all God had done for us was create us and sustain us, that would be reason enough to worship him.
But that is not all that God has done for is.
We don’t just worship God because he made us.
We don’t just worship God because he has given us everything we have.
We worship him because he saved us.
At the beginning of Romans 12, Paul says:
“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)
Notice that phrase “in view of God’s mercy”.
We worship in response to God’s mercy.
We as humans have rebelled against God and the punishment for that rebellion is death and eternal separation from God.
In Christ, God has forgiven us, rescued us and brought us back into relationship with him.
Worship is the only logical response to such extravagant mercy.
4. We worship because it is good for us
Worship is not just the only right and proper response to who God is and all that he has done for us.
It’s also good for us.
When we worship, something shifts inside us.
We stop focusing on ourselves, our circumstances and our worldly concerns, and we instead focus on who God is.
And when we focus on God, this:
- reorders our priorities
- quietens anxiety
- lifts our perspective
- breaks the grip of self-focus
5. We worship because it transforms us
We become like whatever we worship.
Whatever we give our attention to shapes us.
Whatever we bow down to forms us.
If we worship success, we become driven by success.
If we worship approval, we become dependent on approval.
If we worship comfort, we avoid anything that is even slightly difficult.
If we worship worldly things, we become more worldly.
But if we worship God, we become more godly.
In Romans 12:2 it talks about being “transformed by the renewing of your mind”:
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” – Romans 12:2 (NIV)
We often take “the renewing of your mind” to mean reading Scripture – and that is certainly part of it. But we are not only transformed by the READING of Scripture, but also by PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE, or in other words, OBEYING Scripture.
And since true worship is about living in obedience to God in all aspects of our lives…
…logically it follows that we are transformed by worship.
The more we worship God – the more we read Scripture and put it into practice in our lives – the more we will grow in Christlikeness.
6. We worship because it is our eternal calling
In Revelation, we get a glimpse behind the curtain to what Heaven will be like…
“The throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him.” – Revelation 22:3
“Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: ‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honour and glory and power, for ever and ever!” – Revelation 5:13
In Heaven we’ll see God as he really is – in all of his power and glory and majesty.
And what will happen when we see God in all of his power and glory and majesty? We also get glimpses of that in Scripture…
“This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. When I saw it, I fell face down” – Ezekiel 1:28
“When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.” – Revelation 1:17
God is far greater than we realize – and when we enter Heaven and see him as he really is, our immediate response will be to worship.
But – just like on Earth, that worship won’t be limited to singing! When we meet God face to face, we will truly worship him with our entire being. And we will truly do what we were created to do from the very beginning.
Final thoughts
So why do we worship?
Because we were made for it.
Because God alone is worthy.
Because of his mercy in Christ.
Because it is good for us.
Because it transforms us.
And because it is our eternal destiny.
Worship is not “something were supposed to do as Christians”.
It is the only logical response to who God is and everything he has done for us.
Recommended books on worship
- The Air I Breathe – Louie Giglio
- Facedown – Matt Redman
- Why Worship? – Tim Hughes, Nick Drake et al.
- True Worship – Vaughn Roberts
- The Purpose Driven Life – Rick Warren
READ MORE >>> Recommended books on worship
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