Service

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)

The word “worship” in the Bible is used to translate several Hebrew words. One of these words is shachah, and it means “to bow down” (I examined it in my previous post from January 4, 2017). Another word for “worship” is the word avodah (עֲבֹדָה), which is often translated as “service” or “work.”

What does it mean to serve someone? The first meaning of the word “to serve,” according to the Miriam Webster dictionary, is “to attend, to give the service and respect due to a superior, and to comply with someone’s commands or demands.” [1] So, to serve God is to do what God requires, and He has told us what we must do: “to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.” [2] That is worship.

Service is closely related to work. God, who created me, knows my abilities and skills, and what training I need to take care of His world. He will place me right where I need to be at each stage of my life. All I need to do is to turn the logistics to Him and to do my best. “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord…” [3] If what I do agrees with God’s will, I serve God’s purposes. That is worship, too.

The question then is not, “What shall I do and how shall I worship or serve God?” but rather “How will I honor God with everything I do?”

[1] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/serve [2] Micah 6:8 (KJV) [3] Colossians 3:23 (KJV)