How Would You Define Worship?
Ask the Pastor with J.D. Greear
Audio By Carbonatix
By J.D. Greear, Crosswalk.com
When we hear the word "worship," most people think of the three or four songs we sing together at church or even the genre of music itself. But Jesus taught us that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, souls, and minds. That is the foundation of everything we do—it’s the essence of worship.
Worship isn’t something we can neatly package into an hour on Sunday mornings. It’s meant to encompass our entire lives. This doesn’t diminish the importance of corporate worship; rather, it broadens our understanding. As Paul reminds us, whether we eat, drink, or whatever we do, we should do it all as an act of worship to the glory of God.
There isn’t a single second of my day that shouldn’t be an act of worship. If I’m talking to a stranger at a restaurant, my interaction should reflect worship in how I treat that person in God’s name. Why? Because we were created for God. As St. Augustine said, everything we love and do for others ultimately points back to our love for and service to God.
The way I respond to others, the way I parent my kids, even the way I eat my food—everything can and should glorify God. One of my favorite devotional writers, Chris T. Green, captures it perfectly: "Worship is not part of the Christian life. Worship is the Christian life."
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J.D. Greear is the pastor of The Summit Church, in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. He hosts Summit Life, a 30-minute daily radio broadcast and weekly TV program as well as the Ask the Pastor podcast. Pastor J.D. Greear has authored many books, most notably Gospel, Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart, and Gaining by Losing.
Pastor J.D. completed his Ph.D. in Theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Chick-fil-A, serves as a Council member for The Gospel Coalition, and recently served as the 62nd president of the Southern Baptist Convention. Pastor J.D. and his wife Veronica are raising four awesome kids.
"Editor's Note: Pastor JD Greear's "Ask the Pastor" column regularly appears at Christianity.com, providing biblical, relatable, and reliable answers to your everyday questions about faith and life. Email him your questions at [email protected]."
