Worship is attributing worth to someone or thing. When it is used in Scripture it gives the thought of reverence and service given to the person held in honor. When Satan was tempting Jesus to turn His affections to him the Lord Jesus said, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only" (Matt. 4:10, NIV). Needless to say, the Lord honored the Father and was going to worship and serve Him only. To worship and serve any other would be sin. The Lord said, "only." Only means singly. Nothing else or no one else can take the place of God. To have divided loyalty is to worship in an un-prescribed manner. God told Moses, "You must not worship the LORD your God in their way" (Deut. 12:4, NIV). Their way, was the way of those who did not know God. They had developed all kinds of affections and ways of showing it which weren't acceptable to God.

The Lord is God, He is the Creator, the One Who sustains life, and mankind is to honor Him above all else. Without any understanding of how to honor Him we might decide to offer our first born child as a sacrifice to Him. Our children are important and to sacrifice a child would reveal that we believed He is more important than our children. We could jump up and down, cut ourselves with knives and chant some words of affection to God. This would show we believe we are less important than God and that we esteem Him above ourselves.

Well, if you would turn to Deuteronomy 12:31 and 1 Kings 18:27-29 you would find that people did worship in these ways. They were not honoring the true God, but gods of this world. Many had been deceived and believed that they were worshiping God who used another name and who was appeased by other methods than prescribed by Him through Moses.

Today, people worship in various ways. Some worship by trying to cure societies ills. Others worship by being benevolent with their excess money or time. Still others may worship through ritualism (Col. 2:18 & 23; Is. 29:13). Yet, God has taught us through the Bible how He should be worshiped.

Hebrews 12:28-29, Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our "God is a consuming fire" (NIV).

Worshiping God acceptably is worshiping God as He desires. He is a good and loving God. He doesn't demand our firstborn to be burned as a sacrifice or self-mutilation. Instead, He desires that we place faith that His guidance is good and will be of benefit to us and the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.

We may be ignorant of how to worship and make decisions which, in our own estimation, may seem wise, but in the end may be harmful. Yet, faithfulness to God means acting upon the counsel of God found in Scripture. This would be worshiping God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). It would also follow the admonition of James, As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. (James 2:26, NIV).

Worship is recognizing the truth of God's supremacy in all things. It is believing what He has communicated to us through the Bible. It is acting upon that belief in reverence to Him and with desire to please Him. Worship is placing your relationship with God first and foremost and ordering all of life from that relationship.

Yes, worship of God is more than giving a few hours a week to ritual, which pretends to honor God. Usually, ritual is seeking favor of a god without genuinely respecting that god. This would be superstition. You know, wanting life to go well so you play your cards right with those who may have some influence over you.