‘They went after false idols and became false’ (2 Kings 17:15)

Worship is not a trivial issue. When we worship something, we declare its worth, celebrate its goodness, and appreciate its value. In other words, we aspire towards it. We seek to become one with the object.

This is why false worship is degrading and actually dehumanizing. When we worship something created, humanity aspires towards less than himself. He grovels on the floor paying homage to some lowly aspect of creation, whereas he was designed for fellowship with the King. False worship, whether it is the submission to wooden images and statues or the more sophisticated devotion to money, sex, power, or reason, will always bring a person less than himself and ultimately destroys.

Nothing elevates humanity like faithful worship of the true God in Christ. Since we were made in his image, worshipping God draws us towards our true self. It brings us to the God whose we are.

When we make this God the centre of our lives, when we submit to his authority, when we passionately cultivate devotion to him (which is all that worship really is), we are reaching for the very height of spiritual and moral excellence.

And that ennobles us!