worship in all directions: inward

Last week we learned that worship is made up of three directions: inward, outward and upward.  We’ll discuss the inward direction this week.

The inward direction of our worship refers to who I am when no one is looking.  It’s not really difficult to lift up praises to God when we’re at church or around other Christians.  In those environments we’re encouraged, even expected, to do so.  But what about when we’re in the privacy of our own homes, browsing the Internet or glancing through a magazine on the newsstands?  Are we being careful to please God with our private thoughts, with the things we see, with the places we visit?

Worshipping inwardly by being good is perhaps the litmus test for all of worship.  If our hearts’ desire is to please God, we can no longer enjoy our former sins.  2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”  This refers to a change inside of us.  According to Psalm 51:16-17, God wants a broken and contrite heart more than our outward sacrifices.  He knows that if our hearts are purely devoted to him, that can’t help but affect our outward behavior.

Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”  A wellspring is the source from which water flows.  Likewise our hearts are the source of all our thoughts, motives and actions.  The importance of this inward direction of worship cannot be overemphasized.  As we read in 2 Chronicles 16:9, God is searching the earth not to support those who sing the best or shout the loudest.  Rather, he seeks for those “whose hearts are fully committed to him.”  As worshippers and worship leaders, that must be our foremost goal.  Without that commitment, all other expressions of worship are actually sickening to God (see Amos 5:21-23 and Revelation 3:16).

[taken from Pure Praise: A Heart-Focused Bible Study on Worship, Dwayne Moore, 17-18.]

So, because you are lukewarm -- neither hot or cold --

I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

--Revelation 3:16