I became a Christian the summer of my 6th grade year back in 1991 in Shreveport, Louisiana. My Sunday school teacher, Marshal Graham, presented the Gospel to me, and I knew that I was sinner in need of the forgiveness afforded to us through the sacrifice of Christ. It was at that time that I began to get involved in the student ministry of my church. One of the ways that God grew me in my devotion to him was through music.

There is something about music and how it communicates through the lyrics, melodies and harmonies that can stir us to a deep spiritual and emotional connection with God. One of the songs that I remember worshipping to as an older teenager was “The Heart of Worship” by Matt Redman.

Redman recounts that the genesis of this song came from a call by his pastor to move from being consumers of worship to producers. As Redman contemplated his own worship he penned the words to the song. “The Heart of Worship” describes the journey they experienced.

When the music fades, all is stripped away, and I simply come / Longing just to bring something that’s of worth that will bless your heart… / I’m coming back to the heart of worship, and it’s all about You, Jesus.

This song reminds and challenges us to think about our “heart of worship”. Who or what is the aim of our worship? Now, for sure, our worship of God is more than just the songs we sing and how we feel when we sing them. Worship of God is an all-encompassing offering of our lives to the creator, sustainer and Savior of this world.

Romans 12:1 says,

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

The true requirement of our worship of God is to present everything that we are to Him. The whole of our lives. This is the only proper way to worship Christ, who gave us all of Himself so that we might be reconciled back to God. He gave His all so we must give our all.

In H.B. Charles Jr’s book On Worship, he draws the reader’s attention to the fact that “God is the target audience of worship”. It should be our aim to please God with the worship that we present and offer to him. This worship is pleasing and acceptable to him if it comes from a place of making our worship, not about us, but about God.

Hebrews 13:15-16 issues this call to worship:

“Through him (Christ) then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”

So, what is the state of your “heart of worship”? Does the worship of your life look more like self-worship or worship of the one true God? Are we striving to make every aspect of our lives a pleasing offering to the Lord?

Again, hearing from H.B. Charles Jr., I want to challenge you, as well as myself, with these reminders:

Make sure the Lord is pleased with your life.

Make sure the Lord is pleased with your offering.

Make sure the Lord is pleased with your motives.

Make sure the Lord is pleased with your attitude.

Make sure the Lord is pleased with your relationships.

Redemption Hill family, I love you and continue to pray that we, as his people, would seek Him first above all things so that our lives would be a living sacrifice for the Gospel and His kingdom. This is our pleasing spiritual worship!