Worship And Daily Living

WORSHIP AND DAILY LIVING
There are two views in regard to worship and daily Christian living. Some believe that all of life is worship. One scripture that is often used to teach such is Romans 12:1 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” Some translations end that verse this way… “which is your spiritual act of worship.”
Others believe that worship and daily Christian living have nothing in common. They believe that worship involves a specific time, place, act and attitude. Daily Christian living on the other hand, they believe, is the everyday activities we engage in to make a living, raise a family, entertain ourselves and care for our bodily needs.
While there is some merit to both views, neither is completely true. In Romans 12, Paul is teaching that Christians must live everyday in a way that is acceptable to God. Verse 2 explains the transforming nature of a life committed to the will of God. That includes our worship to God and everything else we do.
For those who believe that worship and daily Christian living have nothing in common need to remember that what we do in everyday life has a strong influence in the way we worship. In the sermon on the mount Jesus made several points about how daily living affects worship. For example in Matthew 5:23-24 Jesus said, “Therefore if you bring your gift to the alter, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the alter, and go you way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”
In addition He made it clear that hypocritical living will hinder acceptable worship to God. See Matthew 5:5-8; 16-18.
It is true that worship involves a time, specific acts and our attitude in the presence of God. But God will not accept worship from anyone who is living in sin and rebellion. Read Jeremiah 14:10-12 to see how God will reject worship from the rebellious.