Have We Forgotten Reverence for God?

When Worship Becomes Casual

We say our God is holy, and in response to His holiness we are to be reverent. Have we forgotten reverence? We don't even use that word much anymore. I doubt many young church attendees even have an idea what it really means. To be reverent means to show great respect. There should be no greater respect than the respect for our Holy God. Jesus Himself had His prayers heard because of His reverence.

"In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence." Hebrews 5:7

How We Show Respect for Earthly Authority

Let's pretend for a moment that we had an opportunity to meet with a President we admired, or an A list Hollywood actor, or maybe a king or queen from another country. What would we do differently from a meeting with a classmate we hadn't seen in a long time?

Approaching God with Holy Fear

Most people would say they would put on their nicest clothes. They would listen to what the other person said when they spoke. We would most likely respectfully shake hands or possibly even a small bow toward that person. We probably wouldn't be in conversation with them while at the same time texting on our phone. We wouldn't lean over to chat or appear indifferent while they spoke.

So if this is how we approach another person we respect, how should we approach God? 1 Peter 1:17 tells us we should approach God with reverent fear. Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom according to Proverbs 9:10.

"Since you call on a Father who judges each person's work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear." 1Peter 1:17

Remember though, nice clothes don't necessarily imply reverence. The heart is where our reverence should come from. We can look very respectful on the outside and be anything but that on the inside. Sometimes we are simply dressing for other people to be seen instead of our dress indicating our reverence for God. God sees us for who we really are. The Lord looks at the heart. How we dress is just an outward symbol of what hopefully is in our hearts (Matthew 15:8).

A Father’s Loving Discipline and Our Response

We have been told that Jesus is our friend, our brother, and God is our Father and that is absolutely true. But there was a time when respect, or in this case, reverence was expected between a child and a Father. When a Father spoke, a child was expected to listen. When a Father told a child to do something, they would for the most part try to do it immediately. They knew there were consequences for misbehavior because their Father loved them and wanted what was best for them. Hebrews 12:28-29 reminds us,

"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire"

Everyday Ways to Show Reverence for God

How do we show God reverence in our daily lives? By treating Him as the Holy God He is. We are obedient, we listen, we take correction and learn from it. We read the Word, His Words, that He has left for us. We show gratitude. We love others because He loves us. We submit to others because we have reverence for Jesus.

"Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ". Ephesians 5:21

We treat His creation with care and thoughtfulness. We dress our best, even if we have little, we make sure to be modest and clean. We respect His Holy Name as Jesus taught us.

"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name." Matthew 6:9

Reverence in Worship and Church Life

When we walk into our local church for Sunday Services, are our thoughts immediately about God? Or is it so noisy that we are distracted away from Him? Are our eyes drawn to the girl two rows down in the immodest clothing or the handsome young newcomer or are we focused on worship?

When we assemble in church or even in our homes for worship, how do we show reverence to God? Do we come in His house and chit chat with our neighbor about going to the store or what we heard happened in our community this week? Reverence, a holy respect, is better shown by not talking to others while the service is ongoing, praying, thinking about our blessings, and being open to receive His Word. Our voices should only be raised in praise to Jesus. Our heart should be prepared for worship.

Learning from Quietness and Song

When the Bible is read and the sermon delivered, we should pay attention and really listen to what is being said. Think about it. How does the reading apply to us? Is there anything surprising or something we don't really understand that perhaps we might dig deeper into later at home?

Reverence is shown through joining in with singing. We praise our Father through song. He doesn't say we have to sing well but singing is expected. Many of us who sing in the shower or in the car alone won't even attempt to sing at church out of fear we won't sound good enough. God is patient as we grow in reverence. He welcomes every heart that seeks to honor Him.

Recovering Reverence in a Casual Age

I remember attending church many years ago. Service was in the afternoon and many people attended straight from a day at the lake wearing whatever they wore that day. It was a moment that led our pastor to lovingly guide us toward greater reverence.

He gently reminded us that, just as we might dress thoughtfully for a special occasion, choosing clothing that reflects care and modesty for worship helps us honor the sacredness of the moment. His words encouraged us to think about how we prepare our hearts and appearance for God, not out of judgment, but as an invitation to deepen our connection with Him. Do we ever find ourselves giving more care to our appearance for social events than for worship?

Recently I had the opportunity to visit the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. This beautiful church was literally full of people, some were attending services. To keep the crowd noises down the church measures the noise level and when it goes above a certain level a sound is played. It is a very calming but noticeable, Shhhh. One could immediately feel the calmness. The visitors would quiet and the church would return to its feeling of reverence.

Perhaps in our zeal to make Jesus our buddy, as it were, we have forgotten that He is one with the Father and the Holy Spirit. We may have forgotten that we worship the Creator of the universe and the righteous Judge of all that lives. We are told in Leviticus 19:30,

"You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary: I am the Lord."

And in Psalm 95:6 the Psalmist says,

"Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker."

In reverent worship, we join the disciples in their testimony: “We beheld His glory, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14).

In 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 we see the seriousness of the Corinthians' lack of respect and reverence for the Lord's Supper or Communion. Paul goes into much detail explaining why this was so essential to their worship of God. He reminds us who we remember and why we do so in holy Communion.

Bowing Our Hearts Before a Holy God

When was the last time we knelt before God? When did we last bow down before our holy and righteous God? This is not to imply that we can't speak to God anywhere we are or that we must at all times bow or kneel or say the perfect prayer, but there is an expectation of God that our heart must be bowed before Him in reverence. In Proverbs 28:14, we are told that a happy man is always reverent but when our hearts are hard we fall into calamity.

Each of us needs to check our hearts. Have we shown God the reverence and respect that is due Him? The next time we attend church services think about Him, worship Him, and let the cares of this life melt away as we adore our Savior. We can take comfort that when we draw near to Him in reverence, He draws near to us. Reverence restores our awe of who God is and reminds us that worship is holy ground.