Worship God—But on Whose Terms?

Some view God as a sort of vague and elusive being. Why does He do what He does? What does He want from me? How do we know if what we’re doing is right or wrong and whether it will anger or please Him?

God is all-powerful and all-knowing. But He’s not complicated. He gave us His Word, which outlines both what He wants from us and why He does what He does.  

Let’s answer the why first: “You shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess” (Deuteronomy 5:33). While this command was given specifically to ancient Israel, the fundamental reason for all His commands is the same: They are for our own good.

Beyond that, 1 John 4:8 tells us, “God is love.” When a loving father sets a rule for his children to play in the yard and not in the street, the reason for the rule is love and concern for their safety.

So what of the how in worshiping God? Is our intent all that matters, or are there rules for how to worship Him?  

Once again, we can learn from the commands given to ancient Israel. “These are the statutes and judgments which you shall be careful to observe in the land which the Lord God of your fathers is giving you to possess, all the days that you live on the earth. You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations which you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. And you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and burn their wooden images with fire; you shall cut down the carved images of their gods and destroy their names from that place. You shall not worship the Lord your God with such things” (Deuteronomy 12:1-4, emphasis added).

God was very clear: Do not adopt the worship practices of other religions (see also verses 29-32). This is known as syncretism, or the blending of religions, resulting in a mixture of truth and lies.  A casual search of holidays such as Christmas and Easter will show they are prime examples of syncretism, with practices used to worship pagan gods adapted to the worshiping the true God. This is exactly what He said not to do.

How do you worship God? Are you following His standard or yours?  

It might sound like an odd question with an obvious answer. But be honest with yourself. Are really following His terms? This might come as a shock, but if you’re getting a candy bowl ready for the trick-or-treaters in your neighborhood or beginning to think about how you’ll decorate for Christmas this year, you are not worshiping God on His terms.  

In this issue’s cover story, “The Trap of False Worship,” we’ll take an in-depth look at how God expects us to worship Him.