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, if you’re vision of the good life consists of traveling the world with your spouse and kids, don’t be surprised when you embody habits like watching travel videos on YouTube or replacing the time you should be spending on your “9-5” job to look at flight costs and Airbnb rentals. 

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? It’s probably not your go-to snack. But if you’re like me and enjoy an active lifestyle, you probably find yourself craving healthy foods. Now don’t get me wrong, I love brownies. But the point I’m getting at is this: I not only 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.  

The same could be said about wanting to live for God. And this is where worship comes in. Worship retrains our desires. It redirects our visceral responses in life. The habits of corporate worship, prayer, participation in the sacraments and so on, redirect us to our true north—toward God and is kingdom.

If you’ve ever wondered why you can 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, desire… in short, you don’t walk through life thinking through every decision you make. No, you’re restless until you find proper rest in a life lived with God in his kingdom. This again is where worship comes in. 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 “want to eat broccoli”, instead of just wanting to want to eat it.

This is why it’s so important to thoughtfully consider 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?