Worship

But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.

~ John 4: 23-24 (ESV)

Most people tend to think of worship as adoration of God, gratitude, and praise, expressed through prayer, music, dancing, or singing. In the Bible, however, worship means something different. The primary words for worship are shachah (שָׁחָה) in Hebrew and proskuneo (προσκυνέω) in Greek. Both verbs mean “to fall on one’s face,” "to bow down,” or “to prostrate oneself.” So, worship is not about me rejoicing and feeling good, it is about me being humble.

Interestingly, the word describing humility in Hebrew is shach (שָׁחָ), and it means "low" or "lowly." It comes from the verb “bow down” (translated as “worship”) and consists of two letters, sheen and chet, which in Paleo-Hebrew script mean “destroy” and “fence.” The word picture helps understand that humility is not just a state of being but an act of knocking down my 'fences' and surrendering.

It’s freeing to know that I do not need to feel inspired in order to worship God. “Worshiping is what I do [emphasis added] when I confront who God is.” [1] I worship God when I acknowledge His majesty and subject myself to His sovereign rule.

Worship, indeed, culminates in adoration, gratitude, and praise, but it begins with an attitude of awe and an act of submission.

[1] Moen, S. (2008). Worship? Hebrew Word Study. Skip Moen, February 13, 2008. Retrieved on January 4, 2017 from https://skipmoen.com/2008/02/worship/