Most people confronted with this question would answer, “Nothing.” They would answer this way because they assume a religious connotation to the question. Most people in our country today are decidedly not religious, even though they might have some kind of connection with some kind of church.
Now, is worship a strictly religious word?
One dictionary gives the primary definition of the word this way: “To honor and love as a deity” or, in a different sense, “To participate in religious rites of worship.”1 Clearly, this dictionary sees the religious connotation as primary.
But another dictionary gives this definition: “love unquestioningly and uncritically or to excess; venerate as an idol; ‘Many teenagers idolized the Beatles’ [syn: idolize]”2 Ahh!!! Now the meaning broadens considerably, doesn’t it?
Clearly, whether the second definition is the primary one in our language or not, it is true that many people worship many things. The dictionary quoted above refers to the Beatles. Would you agree that many people worship the Beatles? Or Elvis? Or The Great One? Or … we could go on and on, almost to infinity, one suspects.
Our second definition said:
“love unquestioningly and uncritically or to excess”
What would that look like? Is it always obvious? Certainly some who worship something other than God are pretty obvious. The devotee of the Beatles, for example, will have a collection of Beatles music in some form (or several forms), may have posters, T-shirts, biographies, trinkets and paraphernalia of all kinds (depending on the extent of the obsession). They will spend time thinking about the object of their worship, they will give their time and energy to attending meetings, or traveling to some place specially associated with the Beatles, and so on. Time and treasure, these will always be given to the idol.
Why do people give themselves so intensely to such things? Presumably, the devotee gets something in return. Some feeling of pleasure, some moments where the pains of life are forgotten, some borrowed glory when ‘my favourite player’ wins the championship… there are many benefits.
Some idols pay off more than others, and people have many idols. They give some sense and some meaning to life. The benefits the idols give justify (in the devotees mind) the time and treasure spent.
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The fact is, most people are quite willing to worship things that give them pleasure and relieve the pains of life. They are quite willing to give time and treasure to many idols in order to gain these benefits.
What do you worship? What do you give your discretionary income to? What do you spend money on? What do you devote your time to?
Just remember this, the benefit earthly idols can provide is very fleeting. When the Great Gretzky scored #50 in 39 games, I know exactly where I was and the excitement I felt. That was momentary – and it didn’t last long.
The God of heaven promises forgiveness of sin and eternal life to those who worship him.
What do you worship?
— by Pastor Don
- worship. Dictionary.com. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/worship (accessed: January 16, 2009). [↩]
- worship. Dictionary.com. WordNet® 3.0. Princeton University. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/worship (accessed: January 16, 2009). [↩]
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