by Stafford North

All of life must be for God's honor, but there are special times when we aim our thoughts directly to Him in worship.

A question raised frequently is whether everything we do is worship to God. As with many questions, the answer depends on definitions. If the question means, "Should everything we do be for God's glory," then certainly the answer is yes. First Corinthians 10:31 says, "Whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God" (KJV). My job glorifies Him by providing money for His work and an opportunity to present Jesus to others. My recreation glorifies Him by giving me renewal for more service in His kingdom. My eating glorifies Him because it provides energy to do His bidding. Taking out the garbage glorifies Him because a clean house helps me to be healthy for His service. My sleep glorifies God because after rest I serve Him better.

Romans 12:1 teaches that all of life is for God's glory because we must present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God. We should put all of our time, talents and money on the altar to God. Nothing less than total commitment pleases Him. Such a life offers praise, honor and respect to God. This passage in Romans calls this our spiritual "service" or "worship." The word here is latreuo, meaning "to serve." It can mean any kind of serving, or it can mean religious service, such as what a priest does by offering sacrifices. Therefore, we serve God by offering ourselves to honor Him in all we do.

One might say that, because all of life is for God's honor, all of life is offering honor, service, or worship to Him. But many terms in Scripture have a broad and a narrow meaning. "Elder," for example, can mean any older person or a person holding the office of bishop. Likewise, "deacon," can mean any servant or a person in the office of deacon. "Baptism" can mean any immersion or an immersion for remission of sins. "Church" can mean any assembly or the called out of God.

Is there, then, a narrow definition for worship that places a distinction between all we do in life and those moments when we offer to God a message of praise and love? Yes, the Scriptures teach such a difference. All of life is not the same as those special moments of deep communication with our Maker. There are special times when we "with confidence draw near to the throne of grace" (Hebrews 4:16 RSV). If we were equally at the throne all the time, there would be no "drawing near."

The Greek word often translated as "worship" in the English New Testament is proskuneo. This word means to cast oneself down before an object of worship, to kiss the ground and to prostrate oneself, actually or figuratively. It is never applied to daily living. One may honor God generally while cooking a meal, driving a truck, teaching math or playing ball. But all these may be done for God's honor without thinking about God at the time. A person could never worship God in the sense of proskuneo without being aware at that moment of sending God a message about adoration, respect, thanks or contrition. This word requires specific attention to offering the "fruit of lips that acknowledge his name" (Hebrews 13:15).

Jesus declares in John 4:24 that His new worship will be different than worship under the law. Because "God is spirit," people will worship Him "in spirit." Therefore, worship is spirit to Spirit -- our inner being reaching out in communication to the Spirit who made us. Paul suggests the same in Ephesians 5:19: We are to make melody in our hearts "to the Lord." Thus, worship must engage our hearts and our spirits in sending a message to God. In this sense, worship cannot be done when our minds are on work, play, recreation or when we are asleep. We can worship God publicly or privately, but we can only worship, in this sense, by intending to direct a message to God.

Many passages make this distinction clear. In Deuteronomy 14, Moses lists the clean animals the Israelites may eat in regular meals. But when he deals with times to eat in the presence of the Lord your God (v. 23), he says they must go to a particular place and meet special requirements. Thus, eating a regular meal may honor God because eating is necessary to serve Him, but this meal is not the same as coming into the presence of the Lord to eat a special meal from an offering.

Paul made a similar distinction in 1 Corinthians 11:18-34. When the Christians came together as a church to worship God, they were eating and drinking as if it were a regular meal. Paul reminded them that they had houses to eat in, and he told them if one of them was hungry, he should eat at home. But he said, when you come together to eat, you must observe the Lord's Supper properly. Again, a distinction is made between regular life and a time of worship.

A third passage of Scripture where an occasion of worship is distinct from daily activities is in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35. In this verse, Paul says women are not to speak "in the churches" but may ask their husbands "at home." If everything is equally worship, then why such a distinction between home and assembly?

Even common sense shows us that all of life is not equally worship. If sleeping is as much worship as listening thoughtfully to a sermon from God's Word, then let's all sleep through sermons. If cooking a meal is as much worship as taking the Lord's Supper, then let the cook stay home and have a meal ready as soon as church is over. If playing ragtime on the piano is as much worship as singing a hymn, then why not have a piano with the hymn in church?

Those who suggest that all of life is worship want to emphasize that we must live all of our lives for God -- not compartmentalizing our lives into a day for God and the rest for ourselves. Of course all of life must honor God. But Scripture teaches that God expects us to have those special occasions, both in private and in public, when we pull away from the regular routine of life to speak directly to Him in ways He has authorized. For these moments of worship, of communication with God, He has always provided His people with specific directions about how to worship Him, and we are to follow these instructions carefully.

All of life is not equally worship to God. All of life must be for His honor, but there are special times when we aim our thoughts directly to Him, hearing from His Word and speaking to Him as He has directed. We conclude this from the meaning of the word "worship," from distinctions the Bible makes between worship and life generally, and by common sense. The practical lesson is to make special times for worship the most earnest expression to God that we can and to do all for His honor. *

Stafford North is professor of Bible at Oklahoma Christian University of Science and Arts.