By God’s grace, as a worship leader at church, I have learned that the basis of our weekly service is actually faith. We come to gather and worship every Sunday because we believe in God as we put our faith in Jesus Christ.

But service is not only about what we do at church. I believe that the heart of every work is service.

In simple words, a two-fold purpose of our service is to make God happy and to bring Him glory.

As we come to God, we need to remember that “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6) because “whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” (Romans 14:23).

God, who is holy and perfect, will not tolerate any sin to enter His presence. So, how can we—sinners—come into the presence of a holy God? It’s because we are clothed with Christ’s righteousness as we put our faith in Him (Isaiah 61:10, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Philippians 3:8-9).

That is why it’s only fitting that we come to God with praise and thanksgiving—for who He is (holy, perfect, loving, and merciful) and for what He has done (saving us, redeeming us, forgiving us, and dressing us in His righteousness).

Scripture gives us a clear definition of faith. We can even find a variety of definitions based on the English translations of Hebrews 11:1. If I could make a definition in my own words, faith is “confidence in God’s power that leads us to abide in His love—and to act with love.” Faith without works is dead, and so works without faith is sin.

Faith is essential in worship—and in everything we do. No wonder it’s written, “the righteous shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:17).

In addition (but related) to faith, the Bible gives us another essential that we need to have as we serve: gratitude (grateful attitude). Remember this: “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17).

I believe this is the way that we can truly bring honor to God: serving Him with FAITH and GRATITUDE. Again, the Bible reveals this simple but lasting truth (reminder): “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

I confess this message sounds simple, but it’s not easy to act it out. At times, I focused more on my selfish goals rather than God’s glory—a wrong motivation in life. At other times, I forgot to give thanks but rather make complaints about many things—a wrong attitude in life. (Forgive me, Father!)

Therefore, I have realized that, by my own human strength, it is simply impossible to please God. I need His discipline over and over again. Thankfully, God is a loving Father who disciplines His children (Hebrews 12:6).

And not only that, God has also called us to worship because He wants us to be the partakers of His holiness (Hebrews 12:10). Worship is a spiritual discipline and through worship we are transformed to be more like the One we worship. The more we worship Jesus, the more we will become like Him!

May God strengthen our faith and fill our hearts with gratitude in Him today so we can live a life that pleases and glorifies Jesus—the Author and Perfecter of our faith.

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^{This brief reflection about worship was written in Delta, BC, Canada on February 28, 2024.
The featured image was originally designed by the author with images adapted from online resources.}