Skip to main content

You’re Going to Have to Serve Somebody

I recently watch a small portion of a music concert given by a young woman who is, at this point in her music career, "on top of the world" in acclaim by all forms of media. I watched the faces of her fans (a shortened form of fanatic) and the adoration, the vicarious thrill of basking in her presence, singing along, raising their hands, using their whole bodies in what can only be described as worship. I was witnessing the worship of a person whose music, lyrics and lifestyle seem to define what her worshippers wish their lives were more like.

Human beings are creatures who are inclined by design to worship. They tend to worship something greater than themselves, or someone they deem worthy of such attention. Ideas are worshipped, sacrificed to and followed as are certain movements, or even rock singers. The financial cost of a trans-Atlantic flight to watch this young lady sing and strut her stuff is lauded as a worthy expense to be in the presence of one they deem worthy of adoration.

The truth is that worship declares one's allegiance and one's loyalty. It reveals where the worshipper is attempting to draw life, meaning and purpose for daily existence, to define one's own worth. It is a matter of identification with someone, like this singer, who is worshipped as a means of trying to absorb some sense of vicarious worth as a fan.

Mere human beings were never meant to be worshipped. They cannot transform a heart, heal one's emotional wounds and devastating memories, they have no power to break addictions and shed light upon things living in the darkness of the human soul that keep a person deceived.

God alone is One of infinite worth, worthy of worship, surrender, trust, and commitment. He is One Who can be followed. He alone can lead a person into the wholeness of Life that is found nowhere else but in the Person of Jesus Christ. He alone can transform, heal, rescue, restore, lead life into the fullness of meaning and purpose, fulfillment as a human being. His authority and power and love are unassailably eternal. He is the only one worthy of our worship.

As Bob Dylan wrote, "Ya gotta serve somebody, Ya gotta serve somebody. Now it may be the devil, or it may be the Lord, but you gotta serve somebody." It's how humans are wired.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

  PRAYER Jesus Christ NEVER taught on what we call "unanswered prayer." James wrote that a divided loyalty between trusting the Lord God for life and at the same time relying on the world's systems to get what you want will result in you not getting anything from God you may have prayed about. God will never reinforce the unbelief that flows from divided loyalty. THAT is not unanswered prayer. That is God saying, "No." to your request. God saying, "No." to your requests is not unanswered prayer. It is His grace. His "No" is just what I would want if I knew what He knows. The Lord also answers with, "Not now; not yet." because we are not yet prepared to receive what we think we need. God works in us both to will and to do His good pleasure. If I am praying for something God wants to do in me and the Holy Spirit is working in me preparing me to receive what God has in store, His "Not yet." is NOT unanswered prayer. As we see...
Post a Comment
Read more
 HEBREWS 10:1-2, 10-18 "The sacrifices under that system ( the Old Covenant) were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship.   If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared.   For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.  Under the Old Covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins.   But our High Priest offered Himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then He sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand.   There He waits until His enemies are humbled and made a footstool under His feet.   For by that one offering He forever m...
Post a Comment
Read more
  From Oswald Chambers today: "If the Spirit of God detects anything in you that is wrong, He doesn’t ask you to make it right; He only asks you to accept the light of truth, and then He will make it right. A child of the light will confess sin instantly and stand completely open before God. But a child of the darkness will say, “Oh, I can explain that.” When the light shines and the Spirit brings conviction of sin, be a child of the light. Confess your wrongdoing, and God will deal with it. If, however, you try to vindicate yourself, you prove yourself to be a child of the darkness. What is the proof that carnality has gone? Never deceive yourself; when carnality is gone you will know it— it is the most real thing you can imagine. And God will see to it that you have a number of opportunities to prove to yourself the miracle of His grace. The proof is in a very practical test. You will find yourself saying, “If this had happened before, I would have had the spirit of resentment!”...
Post a Comment
Read more