unselfish worship

I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. 

Psalm 138:2

God's steadfast love and faithfulness both rest upon His character and His Word. I can believe what scripture says because God has revealed it. He has exalted His Word. And I can trust God because His name is worthy of my praise. He is perfect and holy. In all things God is faithful and loving. It never leaves Him because He cannot change.

The worship God deserves from me comes about because of Who God is. If I only worship Him for what He has done, it is selfish worship with myself as the focus. I see this a lot in the church. Sometimes our praise and our songs reek of it. I know often mine does. I place myself first in such selfish thinking, only loving God if I got from Him what I wanted... if I feel he was doing something "beautiful" for me at the moment. God help me if I am going through a hard time! But when I worship God for His unfailing love and His holy Person, I am really worshiping God. The focus is off of my "best life now" and on the source of all my life and the God to whom I must bow down.

Rid of me, O Lord, any shred of selfish worship. Forgive my demands for a happy fun life with no thought of Your glory controlling my heart. Help me to see You in Your beauty and to love You first for Who You are. I need nothing else.

Amen