Question: Dear Greg,

Thank you for answering questions. Would you explain the difference between worshipping God and serving God? What is true worship? How are we to worship God in the right way?

Thank you for your help,

Nella

Answer: Dear Nella,

No artificial distinction about worship needs to be made because all that we do can be worship to God and all that we do can be service to God. However, there is a distinction in our culture, as worship is often used to define more formal, specific actions of worship—publicly and privately. That is, worship could involve singing, listening to God’s word, praying, fasting, meditating, taking a walk, strolling through a garden or hiking on a mountain trail. Serving often takes on a broader definition, as we could be serving God by helping children play a game or by helping a senior citizen by painting their house. Many point out that such activities are also worshipping God. Thus, it is probably best to try to understand what the speaker intends by listening to the immediate context in which they use the word.

In Christ,

Greg Albrecht