Why Do You Worship?
I counted each rep as music played in my AirPods. When I finally got to eight, I put the weights down just as the burning sensation intensified. Sweat dripping, I briefly rested before the next set. The man next to me was talking to someone on his phone, and I heard him mention the Lord. I viewed this as a good opportunity to meet someone new, so when he hung up the phone, I asked him if he was a believer.
He smiled and gave me a quick version of his testimony. He had lived a hard life, but four months ago came to believe in Christ. We had a good, encouraging conversation before parting ways.
The week after, I saw him at the gym again. I asked him how he was doing. He forced a smile, but I could see a struggle in his eyes. He told me that his house had burned down that morning. Completely destroyed. The only clothes he had were the ones on his back. He came to the gym for sweat and distraction.
I became concerned not only for his physical needs but also about the damage this tragedy could do to this young believer. Here he is, trying to follow the Lord, walking in a completely different lifestyle than a few months ago, and then something like this happens. Would this cause him to grow discouraged and lose heart?
Thankfully, I didn’t sense any doubt. While grieving his losses, he spoke of a peace he never had before. He stated that if this had happened a year earlier, his response would have landed him in jail. But now, he had a trust in the Lord and he knew that somehow, someway, this would work for good. I was amazed at the spiritual maturity of this young believer as he declared that even though he’d lost his possessions, God is good and worthy of worship.
Nothing, Yet Everything
In Revelation 12:10, Satan is referred to as the accuser of the brethren who “accuses them day and night before our God,” and that’s exactly what he’s doing in Job 1. After the Lord asked Satan if he had considered Job, Satan replies:
“Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face” (Job 1:9-11).
Essentially, Satan claims that all of Job’s worship springs from selfish motivation rather than love for God. He claims that it’s easy for Job to be faithful when God has protected him and blessed all the works of his hands. If God were to remove these blessings, then Job would stop worshiping God. But, as we see in the rest of the book, everything is taken from Job and still he continues to worship.
We’ve all heard the famous response of Job in verse 21: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” This phrase is so meaningful is because it comes from the heart of a man who just lost everything. His possessions are gone and all ten of his children are dead. With a broken heart and eyes still filled with tears, Job confesses that the Lord is still worthy of worship.
All I Want
One of the disheartening aspects of the prosperity “gospel” is that it makes little of God. Instead of being an almighty, perfect, satisfying, joy-giving, and loving Father—it turns God into a cosmic Santa Clause. If we do good, have enough faith, or simply claim it, then God will give us what we want. If we don't have faith, we lose out on those blessings. It centers our joy on material blessing instead of on Christ himself. The radical nature of the gospel is that even if we don't have anything this life has to offer, we are still satisfied in Christ. I think Habakkuk 3:17-18 sums it up well:
“Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.”
Habakkuk is saying even if he doesn't have food and drink—the basic necessities of life—he will still rejoice in God. Why? Because he recognizes that God is his true joy. To have communion with God is sufficient, even if he has nothing else in this life!
While we may outright reject the teaching of the prosperity gospel, we must still be careful that our heart isn't drawn to a softer version of it. We can easily go through the motions of Christianity and fulfill our checklist of duties out of a desire for some blessing rather than worship of God. Even our worship of God can be tainted by our selfishness.
Why Do You Worship?
Why do you worship God? Is it to gain more temporal blessings? Is it out of hope for an easier life? The Lord can certainly bless us in those ways, and it’s not necessarily wrong that we should desire them. But, what if he doesn’t? What if we lose everything in a fire or have it all taken in one day like Job?
The ultimate motivation of our worship should not be based on our circumstances but rather a heart that recognizes God’s infinite worth. When we see his beauty, grace, love, mercy, justice, and righteousness, we recognize that he’s always worthy of the worship of every creature . . . no matter what’s going on in our life.
If we only “worship” God to get something from him, then perhaps we are not worshiping God at all; he is simply the means to get what we truly want. Church attendance, Bible study, and prayer all become dues that we pay to guarantee the blessing we desire. Sometimes, we don't see potential idols until they are taken from us. What if God allowed everything to be taken from you? Your possessions, your health, and even your own children . . . all taken in a matter of moments. Could you pray Job’s prayer: “The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD”?
Satan was proven wrong about Job. Even after losing everything, Job still loved and worshiped God, thus showing his love for the Lord was authentic and not simply a means to something else.
What about you? Why do you worship?