How to Avoid Blasphemous Worship
Not all worship is acceptable to God.
Worshiping God in vain is simply self-worship.
In Jesus’ day, many of the religious leaders simply loved the honor and prestige of their position. They weren’t worshiping God, but rather they were worshiping themselves.
In this blog, I’m going to delve into the proper way to worship God by examining Matthew 6:1-8.
Giving as Worship
Tithing is an excellent way to worship the Lord. But it can also become a grave sin.
Jesus tells His apostles in Matthew 10:8 to freely give as they have received. In context, this is talking about their newly endowed ability to heal the sick, raise the dead, and perform miracles. However, this can be applied to all of us who have received from God.
We must freely give to the hurting and less fortunate, because God has freely given things to us. Matthew 25:31-46 lays it out in plain English—“When you have done to the least of these, you have done it to Me.”
When we give for our own glory, the gift harms us more than it helps anyone.
Giving in Vain
Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:2-4 that giving for the sake of being noticed isn’t worship. We won’t receive anything from the Lord for such vanity.
Instead, He says, “Don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” There ought to be a layer of discreteness with your giving, so that your Father in Heaven will know you did it for Him.
True Worship through Giving
Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 9:7 that God loves a cheerful giver.
We shouldn’t only be seeking a reward for our giving, but we need to recognize that giving to the least of these could inspire them to find God!
That would be the greatest reward we could ever receive—learning that someone made it to Heaven because we gave to him or her.
Worshiping through Prayer
Praying is how I’ve found to best worship God.
By coming to Him humbly, as a child would to his Daddy, I have found that the Lord is open and honest with me.
I asked God to speak to me many years ago. After going through trials, which I believe God allowed me to go through to train me, I came out more prepared to hear His voice.
By reading and studying scripture, I have figured out whether I’m hearing my own voice, my sinful flesh’s voice, or God’s voice.
Now, I pray all the time—giving Him glory, love, and appreciation, which He rewards.
Praying in Vain
Much like giving in vain, praying in vain is simply praying for the sake of being noticed by others (Matthew 6:5). Jesus says, “…they have received their reward in full.”
I have noticed in small group prayers that a lot of my church family like how I pray. I can feel a sense of pride in the way they encourage me to continue praying how I do.
This pride leads to sin. I feel myself beginning to wonder if I’m the reason behind my successful prayers.
Thankfully, all I have to do is remember the scriptures. I will admit my sin to my Daddy, and He quickly forgives me and reminds me it was Him that taught me to pray.
True Worship through Prayer
Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:6 to go into our inner room of our house and pray secretly.
By doing this, we will be rewarded by our Father in Heaven.
It’s hard to imagine simply speaking to another human would get you rewarded. Like, could you imagine if you got a discount on a new suit just because you were upfront with your problems to the cashier? Of course not! That’s ridiculous.
However, God’s ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8). He will happily reward us for speaking to Him honestly, reverently, and with faith.
Conclusion
Worshipping the Lord honors Him. True worship is all about God—there is no attempt to pull any of the attention back to yourself.
There is a force that tries to pull you to self-worship. This force is what caused Lucifer to fall, and I believe it causes us to worship in vain.
Avoid Blasphemous Worship
The best way to avoid blasphemous worship is to know the scriptures and submit to them. God knows what is best, and He has clearly written it in the Bible.
If there’s someone other than God receiving your worship, then it’s sin.
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