Why do we feel compelled to give adoration to someone or something? The simplest answer relates back to Blaise Pascal’s famous quote “There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.” We have this inside of us at our very core that we are designed to give adoration to ascribe worth to one who is greater.

This has been used by many manipulative tyrants down through the eons of history to marshall loyal followers to their cause. Granted is has also been used by leaders and visionaries to promote great advances as well. But under it all we have this deep desire to give of ourselves to one who is worthy or has proven their worthiness to us in some way.

I’ve heard somewhere that worship came from an old AngloSaxon concept best expressed as worthship or the act of ascribing worth to someone something and it does seem to be an accurate take on the idea. When something is of great worth we will sacrifice all to protect it, to care for it. When someone is of great worth we will, likewise, protect and care for them but will also serve them to accomplish that care and protection.

The saints of old called it our “reasonable service” to venerate the only One who is worthy of our adoration.

Yet we as imperfect men elevate almost everything else above our devotion to Papa God on a regular basis. That is our struggle, we have this knowing in our spirit that there is only one who is worthy of our praise and worship but we constantly put ourselves on His throne in our lives because we are broken apart from Him.