Worship God

Does the word MmmBop mean anything to anybody else? If you are a 30-40 year old female it’s possible that you just experienced heart palpitations at the mere mention of that song. For everyone else... MmmBop was the name of the number one hit song from the teeny bopper 90s band, Hanson that consisted of 3 brothers with beautiful, blonde locks (at least we thought they were beautiful). Yall, I was OBESSED!!! Believe me, I do not use that term lightly. I won’t even mention the number of Hanson posters that I had plastered all over my room. You would for sure disown me. Those of you that know how horrible it was (or maybe even had to experience the insanity), but still love me... BLESS YOU!

I’m about to get really real, really fast. Do you know the true term for my preteen obsession? Idolatry. Yes, it absolutely was. When we worship anything other than God it is idolatry. Webster defines worship as “to regard with great or extravagant respect, honor, or devotion.” Another definition I read used the word “adore.” I’m pretty sure and also quite embarrassed to admit that those Hanson brothers (especially Zac) had my complete devotion and adoration! Here’s the thing, we were created to worship. God’s purpose in creating us was to bring him and him alone glory. But then Genesis 3 happened. The fall of man. Because of Eve’s disobedience and her desire to be like God, sin entered the world and now we are in a constant battle with our flesh. This is a wordy passage, but it helps to know that we are not alone in our battle and that even Paul struggled too. In Romans 7:15-20 he says “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but the sin that dwells within me.”

Clear as mud, right? Basically this is what I believe happens. We were created to worship. We desire to worship. But because of sin, our mind and our heart stray. We lose sight of the One that is meant to be the object of our worship. The creator, not creation! There’s a reason that the first one of the ten commandments is “thou shall have no other gods before me.” It’s the same reason that when he was asked what the greatest commandment is, Jesus answered with “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” God and God alone is to receive all of our worship. ALL of our adoration and praise!

Is anyone thinking “well, I’m good. The flame I held for Hanson burned out a long time ago.” Here’s what I would say to that... Praise The Lord you aren’t chasing after 3 married men in their mid 30’s!!! Just kidding, kind of. Maybe you’re not idolizing a boy band or any band for that matter, but what about... your house? Your car? Your sports team? Your kids? What creations are you praising over the Creator? Here’s another thought to ponder...what pastor/speaker/author/praise and worship leader are you worshipping? Ouch. That might hit some of you in the gut. It does me. As Christ followers that are pursuing a deeper understanding of the Bible and of who God is, it can be easy to put people that we consider to be great teachers and leaders on a pedestal. We have in our mind that just because someone is on a stage or has a platform of some sort, they are different or better than the rest of us. It’s true that their giftings may be different, but as someone who’s husband is on stage each week, I can tell you that they are human just like the rest of us! If you know me, you know I love my husband dearly, but he really is just a normal person that is using the talents that The Lord has given him to serve and to lead. This might be a bold statement to make, but I’m going to throw it out there anyway. If someone is claiming that what they’re doing is ministry for The Lord, but it’s obvious that they want the glory for themselves, run as fast as you can in the other direction! The best leaders are the ones that are humble and are continuing to point others to the only one worthy of ALL of our worship! The one true God!

I’m going to leave you with a passage of scripture to meditate on. It’s from Revelation 22:8-9 “I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.””

Worship God.