There was a time when I thought worship was singing Christian songs at church. So when I read that we should worship God all the time, even when we’re doing the dishes, then I thought we should be singing or at least humming the tune of worship songs all the time.
Then I thought that worship was what we did at church on Sundays. That was singing, praying, learning about God and His Words, and doing what He told us to do. Doing all those things every day instead of just on Sunday can be difficult if you work for someone who frowns on those things.
Since I was a stay-at-home mom, I was able to do things I do on Sundays throughout the week. Not every day but most days. Then I went back to work and I didn’t make the time to worship every day.
As I mentioned in my previous post, I learned a Hebrew word that is translated work, serve, or worship. The verb form of that word is avad. We see it first used in the second chapter of Genesis before the Fall. So work shouldn’t be thought of as punishment.
In the beginning, God put man in a special place to work. Then the Israelites were forced to serve Pharaoh until Moses came to bring them out of Egypt to worship God. The word translated as work, serve, or worship is from the same Strong’s Hebrew word of avad.
This tells me that serving God through work is a form of worship. The main difference is who we are serving or working for. Many prominent people in the Bible were given the title “Servant of the Lord.” Abraham, Moses, David, Jonah, and Jesus are just a few.
The word avodah which was translated as work became the word to mean the service that the priest did in the temple. That was the word in the title of the song chosen in the previous post. “Seder Ha’Avodah” tells us about the order of the high priest as he prepares for Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the holiest day of the Jewish year when he enters the holy of holies.
So whatever we do when done to serve God is worship. Washing the dishes and staying home to care for our kids are forms of worship. We don’t need to be missionaries abroad but just being a child of God in our neighborhood or workplace is a mission to expand God’s kingdom.
As I was preparing another dish for my husband, I thought of who I was serving. It wasn’t Scott or even myself. I was serving God by chopping vegetables that were taken from the garden Scott worked on. This was my way of worshiping God.
What are you doing every day that may seem like a chore but can be an act of worship?
Prayer
Almighty God in heaven,
Thank You for allowing us to worship You through our work and daily tasks. Help us to serve You in such a way that others will want to know You more. May our lives be a light in our communities so that the darkness has to flee.
In Jesus’ name, Amen
Verses
Ephesians 5:19 Singing psalms, hymns, spiritual songs and making music to the Lord in your hearts
Psalm 95:6 Come, let us worship and bow down
Psalm 113:3 From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised
Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord and not for people
Romans 12:1 Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to His service and pleasing to Him – the true worship you should offer
Genesis 2:5 there was no man to work the ground
Genesis 2:15 God took the man and placed him in the garden to work it
Exodus 1:13 The Egyptians worked the Israelites ruthlessly
Exodus 3:12 God said to Moses, “When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain”
Psalm 105:6 O children of Abraham, God’s servant
Exodus 14:31 The Israelites believed in the Lord and in His servant Moses
2 Kings 8:19 The Lord was not willing to destroy Judah for the sake of His servant David
2 Kings 14:25 God of Israel spoke through His servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet
Isaiah 42:1 God says, “Behold My Servant whom I strengthen. He is My Chosen One, who delights My soul. I have put My Spirit upon Him and He will bring justice to the nations
Numbers 8:11 The Levites may do the work of the Lord
Ezra 6:18 Then the priests and Levites were divided into their divisions to serve at the Temple of God in Jerusalem
Leviticus 16:16, 17 Aaron will purify the Most Holy Place for the atonement ceremony for himself, his household, and the community of Israel
1 Corinthians 10:31 Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God
Matthew 25:40 The King will say, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for Me”
John 20:21 Jesus said, “As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you”
Romans 12:2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think
John 4:21, 23 Jesus told the Samaritan woman, “The time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. It’s here now – when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth”
Song
“My Labour Is Not In Vain” by CityAlight starts off slow but is worth listening through. It is based on the verse 1 Corinthians 15:58 and 1 Corinthians 10:31.
Call To Action
If you have already prayed, looked up the verses in your Bible, and listened to the suggested song, then choose one activity that you have always thought a chore and think of you doing it for Jesus.