⁶ Come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. ⁷ For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. (Psalm 95:6–7a)

Worship, when unhindered by the cares of this world, pours out from the soul that is aligned with God, as the yelps of one who has just discovered himself to be a multi-million-dollar lottery winner. Sure, at times, we discipline ourselves to worship, as we must tame the fleshly pull away from God that continually entices us with the false worship of created things. But the image of God impressed on us from the moment we entered into reality, leads us ultimately back to the One whose image we bear.

At the core, we worship God because He is our Maker, our Creator—we simply cannot escape the connection. We owe our very existence to Him, like a vase owes its existence to the potter, a painting to its artist. It is first and foremost a reality, not an obligation. We ought to worship Him because we were designed to worship Him. And we live and operate best in this world when we align with the purpose for which we were designed.

But what does it mean to worship God? Is this some activity for which we carve out time in our week, a time of giving homage to Him for an hour of worship on a Sunday morning? Some do, in fact, think of worship in that way, fulfilling their obligation by their church attendance. Today we use the term “worship” as synonymous with a certain style of musical expression to God. In fact, in at least one respected seminary, a full length course on worship focuses primarily on church music. To be sure, music can convey worship. And worship can be expressed in many different ways.

Even the architecture of a building in which worship takes place can enhance worship. But Jesus made it clear that worship cannot be restricted to a physical location, for it resides in the attitude of “spirit and truth” (John 4:24). The focus is not on the place, but on the Person. God is the centrality of our worship, we were not made in the image of a building, but in His image. He is our Maker and this cannot be restricted by convention, geography or architecture. Paul preached this clearly:

“The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is LORD of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things… ” (Acts 17:24–25).

Lord, teach me to worship You rightly, in spirit and truth, because You are my Creator, and in You I live and move and exist.