Wired for worship..
We're all worshippers. Every one of us. It's a part of our wiring; we're "hardcoded," if you will, to pour ourselves into some thing, some one, or some cause. Reader – don't be put off by the word worship simply because it has such a strong religious connotation. Let's dig a little deeper. The Old English version of the word worship is worthscipe, or worth-ship: usefulness, importance, or value -state, or condition. Worship is, by definition, the state of "…feel[ing] an adoring reverence or regard for (any person or thing)." It requires that we assess and assign value to something or someone, then our actions flow out of our assessment or appraisal.
For example, the older I get, the more I determine that my health is valuable. Thus, I work out regularly (sometimes not so regularly) and I eat right (sometimes not so right). But, here's what's real: health maintenance is important. Period. The fact that I didn't recognize that or take action for years never changed its value. Does that make sense? See, I could die of some preventable disease, not ever having acknowledged that eating right and exercising had value. My lack of acknowledgment didn't change the fact that I was wrong – it just meant that I would've died ignorant…and early.
I say this because I find that every moment of my days are spent assigning value to the things and people in my life and my actions (my worship) flows out of my appraisal.
Family
Career
Pleasure
Money
Celebrity
Fitness
Relationships…or the idea of being in one
My heros
My emotions
God?
I call myself a worshipper of God. He tells me that I should have no other gods…only Him. But it's hard – I have to make a second-by-second choice to remind myself of His worth and His value. Then my actions flow from that: I spend time with him regularly (sometimes I get distracted by someone or something else and it's not so regular). I do the right things – the things that make Him happy (sometimes, I move Him out of 1st position in my heart and do things that are not so right).
Yet, He is Creator: all-wise, all-powerful, ever-present, all-knowing, not bound to time, invaluable, King of Kings, Master, and the Earth with everything and everyone in it belongs to Him. My refusal to recognize that and take action on it changes neither His value nor who He is. I want my life, my behavior, the time I spend and the energy I pour out to scream, "I'm a God-worshipper!"
You worship. That's a fact. Look back on your day, even your years. Evaluate how you spent your time, your money, and your energy. Every day, your actions speak of the things and people to which you have assigned value. Your behavior screams "I am a __________ worshipper!"
…what's in your blank?