Worship: It Does (a Spiritual) Body Good

Jesus has said, "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:23-24) Worship is the main course meal for the spiritual body. After going through the week dealing with cantankerous co-workers; brazen bosses; and discourteous drivers on the street; associating with spiritually minded people can be a refuge for the soul. And yet, some Christians think nothing of missing the spiritual meal freely offered twice on Sunday and on Wednesday evenings. Work, school activities, travel, sports, and a myriad of other things impede some from worshipping God as often as they should. Others simply do not want to worship as often as possible! I know too many Christians who fail to come back on Sunday evening or Wednesday evening because they just don’t want to! Perhaps a reorganization of priorities is necessary! To coin a phrase from a popular commercial, worship does a (spiritual) body good through:

Creating a sense of belonging. We all have needs of belonging. Remember, we are children of God. (1 John 3:2) We need to associate with our spiritual brothers & sisters whenever the opportunity presents itself. We’re a spiritual family! We have spiritual obligations to share each other’s load. (Gal. 6:2) The Christian who neglects worship often fights an unnecessary battle in that he is left to deal with his problems/trials/temptations on his own. Absent in his life are the continual exhortations and encouragement of his brothers and sisters. To hear "We’re praying for you," and "We’re behind you," can uplift and help the Christian immensely. When we miss often, the sense of belonging with each other will be lost! Instead of feeling like part of the family, one may feel more like an outsider. This condition can be easily remedied by being present at every service!

Worship can do us good through producing quiet strength. Several passages command the Christian to be strong in the Lord. For example, Eph. 6:10: be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Another passage is found in 2 Tim. 2:1: be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. When we come together we are often reminded of the great Bible characters that persevered through great trials and temptations for the glory of God. Who hasn’t been inspired by the strength of Noah, Moses, Samson, Paul, and most importantly Jesus? If they overcame, most assuredly we can too! Upon obedience to the gospel, the Christian enters a lifelong battle to put away the works of the flesh. On our own, this battle would be impossible to fight. But with the help of the Lord, and fellow brethren on the team this battle CAN be won! We’re in this together! When it comes to spiritual things, there is nothing you cannot do! God will help mold you into the kind of person you need to be! A good husband. A godly wife. A well behaved and sensible son/daughter. You can be like Jesus! Remember, the quiet confidence of Paul who said, I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me. (Phil. 4:13) Regular worship cultivates this kind of attitude.

Regular worship does one good by creating a sense of restfulness. For three hours on Sunday, and an hour on Wednesday we can leave this world behind! This is a time to focus on the spiritual! We need to take time out from the worries of daily life. Take time out and focus upon how much God has blessed you. It is during worship that we are reminded we’re not alone! Christ is here, helping us with our daily burdens. This is the time we can experience the peace of God by letting our requests be made known to God. (Phil. 4:6-7) This is the time that we can look forward to life eternal when problems of daily life will only be a faint memory. Jesus intended for His people to be a people of peace. Note John 14:27: "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

Worship does us good in that it creates a sense of joyful obedience. Lack of attendance is usually a touchy subject for the Christian who willfully misses worship services. Is this because of a guilty conscience? Probably. While we do not wish to defend the person who thinks perfect attendance somehow makes him a superior Christian, there is a joyful satisfaction of knowing that we’ve followed through on something the Lord expects the Christian to do. That is, faithful attendance to worship services. After all, hasn’t He given us our salvation? Our hope? The forgiveness we so desperately need? The right to become part of God’s household? (Eph. 2:19) Shouldn’t we demonstrate our thankfulness at every opportunity! This is why the Hebrew writer encouraged the Christians of his day to not (forsake) our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. (Heb. 10:25)

Regular worship is an essential for a successful Christian life. It does your spiritual body good! Neglect is often the first step down the slippery slope to spiritual decay & death. Don’t continue to neglect what you know you need. Rearrange your priorities. Work with your boss to rearrange your work schedule. Plan your recreation around worship services and bible study. Make this your first priority! Work on increasing your love for the Lord. Then, make provisions to demonstrate your love as often as possible! You’ll be surprised how much better you feel about your spiritual life!

Matthew Allen
mhallen@sbcglobal.net