Worship

"Every time Moses appealed to Pharaoh to let God's people go it was so that they might serve Him.  God wasn't releasing the Israelites from slavery so that they could join Club Med.  He set them free so that they would celebrate, serve and worship Him." - Elyse Fitzpatrick

Whoa!  Ouch.  I often think God set me free from slavery (to self, others, reputation, addiction, etc) so that I can enjoy what I call the cruise-lifestyle: a life of ease and comfort where it's always sunny and where I can be carefree and served, choosing between gourmet food options.  Sounds good, eh?

But God didn't set me free so I can live a life of self-indulgence.  What I long for is too small.  And it's self-focused. He set me free to live a life of love and obedience... a life of worship.

"Let us beware, lest we in our pride accept the erroneous notion that idolatry consists only in kneeling before visible objects of adoration, and that civilized peoples are therefore far from it.  The essence of idolatry is the entertainment of thoughts about God that are unworthy of Him."  - A.W.Tozer