Worship is the Heart of Discipleship

Tim Davis

What comes to your mind when you think about “the good life”? 

Do you picture yourself working hard on a farm away from society? Maybe traveling the world with your spouse and kids? All of us are compelled by a vision of the good life—we viscerally respond to an idea that’s beautiful in our own eyes. What is it for you?

But here’s where we get closer to the point. Your vision of the good life doesn’t exist in a vacuum disconnected from your day-to-day life; instead, your vision of the good life is accompanied by a liturgy—a set of habits and rituals that reinforce your heart’s desire for that vision. 

For example, suppose your vision of the good life consists of traveling the world with your spouse and kids. If that's the case, don’t be surprised when you embody habits such as watching travel videos on YouTube or looking at Airbnb rentals when you should be doing your “9-5” job. 

AUGUSTINE TO THE RESCUE

Saint Augustine, the famous fifth-century theologian and bishop from North Africa, rightly understood human nature. We’re creatures who long, crave and desire. And as he put it, “You [God] have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” 

In other words, if our hearts were oriented by a compass, our “true north” is directed toward God and his kingdom. That’s the good life we’re designed to enjoy forever—that’s where we find our rest. However, competing kingdoms—along with their contending rituals—take us off the course we were made to live. 

So what’s our path forward?

WORSHIP: THE HEART OF DISCIPLESHIP

Do you like eating vegetables? If you're like me, it’s probably not your go-to snack. But because I enjoy an active lifestyle, I find myself craving healthy foods on a weekly basis. Now don’t get me wrong, I love brownies. But the point I’m getting at is this: I don't simply want to want to eat broccoli, I actually want to eat it. But this desire didn’t come naturally. It came from years of habit. Daily habits like running, biking, swimming and eating healthy retrained my desires. And because of it, my tastebuds are now "vegetable oriented".   

The illustration above is analogous to living for God. And this is where worship comes in. The habit of worship—both corporately and individually—retrains our desires.  The habits of gathering with the corporate body, participating in the sacraments, prayer and Bible reading redirect our spiritual tastebuds toward our true north—toward God and is kingdom.

If you’ve ever wondered why you know the good thing you’re supposed to do, yet fail to follow through, you’re one step closer to realizing the power of worship. As a human, you crave, long, and desire… in short, you don’t think out every decision you make. No, most of your responses are visceral and from the gut. You’re restless until you find proper rest in a life lived with God in his kingdom. This again is why worship is so important. It forms and shapes our visceral responses—it redirects our cravings, longings and desires. 

This is why worship is at the heart of discipleship. Over time, you’ll “crave broccoli”, instead of just wanting to want to eat it.

Let's not carelessly walk through the motions. Instead, let's give thoughtful consideration to our worship—what we do and why we do it. What’s our liturgy, our habits and practices? And are they redirecting us toward the good life offered to us by King Jesus?