True Worship—A Way of Life
YOU have before you the prospect of life eternal under the kingdom of God. This prospect is solidly based in the truth of God’s own Word, which says: “The righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will reside forever upon it.” (Ps. 37:29) The realization of this grand prospect is within your reach if you truly love God and worship him by “walking in the truth.”—2 John 1-4.
True worship means more than just knowing the truth. It means even more than speaking and proclaiming the truth to others. It means believing and acting on the truth, “walking in the truth” by putting it to work in our daily lives. (Jas. 1:22-25) True worship so influenced the daily lives of early Christians that it became known as “The Way” and “the way of the truth.” (Acts 9:2; 2 Pet. 2:2) It is the “way” marked out by God for all true worshipers to live their lives as they strive for the goal of eternal life.
So, our worship of Jehovah God cannot be something separate from the rest of our life. Rather, we must apply the truth of his Word in every activity of life. As the Bible explains: “Whether you are eating or drinking or doing anything else, do all things for God’s glory.”—1 Cor. 10:31; see also Colossians 3:17.
Our every action should harmonize with the truth of God’s Word, and so bring glory to God. This will be for our lasting happiness. The righteous principles of his Word do not change according to place of dwelling or personal circumstance. They are always true, always right.—Ps. 119:142.
If you really do practice true worship, what will it mean for you now? It will bring your whole life into harmony with God’s way. His Word tells us: “Put away the old personality which conforms to your former course of conduct . . . you should be made new in the force actuating your mind, and should put on the new personality which was created according to God’s will in true righteousness and loyalty.”—Eph. 4:22-24.
Putting on the new personality means putting away obscene, lying speech in favor of clean, truthful language. It means replacing drunkenness and sexual immorality with upright, honorable conduct. It means cultivating, not greediness, but unselfishness and generosity.—Col. 3:5-10.
How refreshing it is when godly qualities are displayed in one’s everyday contacts with people—with family members, business associates, close acquaintances and strangers! Just think of the grand effect when this counsel of God’s Word is applied: “Clothe yourselves with the tender affections of compassion, kindness, lowliness of mind, mildness, and long-suffering. Continue putting up with one another and forgiving one another freely if anyone has a cause for complaint against another. Even as Jehovah freely forgave you, so do you also. But, besides all these things, clothe yourselves with love, for it is a perfect bond of union.”—Col. 3:12-14.
But, do you think it difficult to make this change, and maintain it every day? With the help of God’s spirit you can do it. Through true worship you can produce the wonderful fruitage of God’s spirit in your life. That “fruitage of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, mildness, self-control.”—Gal. 5:22, 23.
When true worship becomes your way of life it will be your constant guide. In making decisions, large or small, you will learn to ask yourself: “What will be pleasing to Jehovah God? What do the principles in his Word show to be the right and wise course?”—Ps. 119:105; Prov. 3:1-6.
For example, a true Christian will be concerned that his secular employment does not interfere with his service to Jehovah God, or involve work or practices that the Bible condemns. (Heb. 13:5, 18; Isa. 2:3, 4; Rev. 18:4) Even when it comes to recreation, God’s Word should guide in selecting something upbuilding, wholesome. (Phil. 4:8) There is nothing in your life that will not be influenced in a beneficial way by true worship.
HAPPY REWARD FOR ENDURANCE
However, because of the pressures that the world brings upon genuine Christians, it may not be easy to continue walking faithfully in the “way of the truth.” Jesus warned that true worshipers would be hated and persecuted, just as he was. (John 15:18-20; 2 Tim. 3:12) Circumstances may arise that threaten to interfere with your regular study of the Bible or your association with fellow Christians at congregational meetings. Opposition may cause the preaching work to become difficult, even dangerous. What will you do?
The Bible counsels: “You have need of endurance, in order that, after you have done the will of God, you may receive the fulfillment of the promise.” (Heb. 10:36) So, the only right course is to press on courageously in God’s service, trusting in Him. God’s Word says: “Throw your burden upon Jehovah himself, and he himself will sustain you. Never will he allow the righteous one to totter.”—Ps. 55:22; Heb. 6:11, 12.
To early Christians, the disciple James wrote: “Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you meet with various trials, knowing as you do that this tested quality of your faith works out endurance.” (Jas. 1:2, 3) Yes, we can have real joy if, under opposition, we face up to the test of our faith. Why?
It is because by enduring we uphold the side of our heavenly Father in the great issue before all the universe. Furthermore, God’s Son assures us: “By endurance on your part you will acquire your souls.” Yes, by endurance you will gain the reward of life eternal.—Luke 21:16-19; 1 Pet. 2:21-23; 2 Thess. 1:4, 5.
We live in the most blessed time of all human history. Soon now Jehovah and his Son, Christ Jesus, will rid the universe of all enemies of God’s kingdom. What a joy it will be, after that war, to live under righteous conditions in the paradise earth, free of suffering, sorrow and death!
You can have full confidence in that hope. Why? Because we are assured, “God . . . cannot lie.” (Titus 1:2) Look ahead to that blessed prospect, then, and never forsake the worship of Jehovah the true God. Keep on in the way of the truth, for “the world is passing away and so is its desire, but he that does the will of God remains forever.”—1 John 2:17.