Is Everything We Do Worship?

by Harold Hancock

A Christian should try to please God in everything he does, but everything a Christian does is not worship. For instance, a Christian may travel, work, rest, and sleep with God's approval, but he is not worshipping God when he does these things

In the New Testament, the Greek word Proskuneo is most frequently translated worship. Vine's Expository Dictionary defines it as "to make obeisance; do reverence to," and says, "it is used of an act of homage or reverence." There are several other Greek words used in the New Testament which are sometimes translated worship and at other times translated service. One should study the context of these words before concluding all service is worship.

Many Bible passages make it clear that not everything that we do that is pleasing to God is worship. On one occasion Abraham told his servants, "Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you" (Gensis.22:5). Abraham and Isaac went into the mountain, worshipped God and returned to the servants. Going to and returning from the mountain was not worship.

When David learned of the death of his son, he "arose from the earth, and washed, and changed his apparel; and he came into the house of Jehovah and worshipped" (2 Samuel 12:20). What David did before entering the house of the Lord on this occasion was not considered to be worship.

The Ethiopian eunuch "had come to Jerusalem to worship" (Acts 8:27), and Paul "went up to worship at Jerusalem" (Acts 24:11). It is obvious that both the eunuch and Paul had come to Jerusalem to perform specific acts as worship

Worship and service may be closely associated with one another (Matthew 4:9-10). Naturally, we desire to serve the one whom we worship. Service, however, is broader than worship. All worship is service, but not all service is worship. We are right, therefore, to determine that worship is specific acts done with humility and with reverence and separated from the normal activities of the day.

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