Worship the Lord in Every Part of Life
Scripture — Isaiah 45:23 (NRSV)
By myself I have sworn,
from my mouth has gone forth in righteousness
a word that shall not return:
“To me every knee shall bow,
every tongue shall swear.”
Focus
Through the prophet Isaiah, God looks forward to the time when every knee will bow in humble worship before God’s majesty. Jesus, after humbling himself by dying on the cross, rightly receives worship that is due to God alone. We are to worship our Lord, not only in church or our personal devotions, but in everything we do and in every part of life.
Devotion
Throughout Isaiah 45, the Lord has been revealed as truly unique. God alone is the Lord. God alone is righteous and saving. Yet God’s saving work will include more than just Israel. “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other” (45:22). In fact, God has sworn by the sacred divine name that “To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear” (45:23). One day, the only true God will be acknowledged by all people.
The uniqueness of the one true God is central to the Old Testament witness. Monotheism set Israel apart from its pagan neighbors. And this conviction of the one God carried over into early Christian theology—though with a curious twist, as you’ll see below.
An echo of Isaiah 45:23 appears in the New Testament in a most striking setting. In Philippians 2, Jesus Christ empties himself and becomes human, even choosing the humiliation of the cross. What is the result of Jesus’s self-sacrifice?
Therefore God also highly exalted him
and gave him the name
that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. (Phil 2:9-11)
How amazing! In light of Jesus’s incarnation and death, God the Father raised him to the highest place, giving him the sacred divine name and allowing him to receive the worship of the world. Jesus is, in the mystery of God’s triune nature, the Son who rightly receives the honor God claimed in Isaiah 45.
As we worship, we bow before the triune God, offering our whole lives to God in humble worship. This worship happens not just in church, but in the world, as we serve the Lord each day, at work and home, in our jobs and our hobbies, among our neighbors and our friends, in our business and our leisure, in our church activity and our citizenship. Moreover, by proclaiming Jesus as Lord, we implicitly acknowledge that he is our Lord, the one who rightly rules over our lives. Therefore, we are his servants, seeking to obey and honor Christ in every part of life and in everything we do.
I’m reminded of this truth each morning as I repeat a simple prayer once offered by St. Ignatius, “Grant, Lord, that all my intentions, actions, and operations be directed purely to your praise and your service.” I don’t know if I’ve ever fully lived this prayer in a day, but this is my hope and commitment, to offer everything I do as praise and service to God.
Reflect
Do you ever literally “bend the knee” before Jesus, offering yourself to him in submission and worship?
Do you regularly confess Jesus as the Lord of all and therefore your Lord?
Is Jesus your Lord at work? When you’re out with your friends? When you’re figuring out the family budget? When you’re dreaming of your future?
Act
Talk with your small group or a wise friend about how they have experienced in real time the lordship of Christ.
Pray
Gracious God, it is my honor and privilege to bow before you, to offer you all that I am. I belong to you: heart, soul, mind, and strength. My life is yours, to do with as you will.
Mighty God and Savior, it is my honor and privilege to confess you as Lord, to proclaim in worship and before the world your majesty and glory. You are the Lord of heaven and earth. And you are Lord over me. May I live each moment with you as Lord, seeking to serve you and share in your work on earth.
Lord Jesus Christ, today I honor you as God. Recognizing the wonder of your humiliation and sacrifice, I offer myself to you in grateful awe. May I live this day, and every day, for your purposes and glory. Hallelujah! Amen.
Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: Do Your Work in a Worthy Manner (Philippians 1:27–2:11).
Mark D. Roberts
Senior Strategist
Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a Senior Strategist for Fuller’s Max De Pree Center for Leadership, where he focuses on the spiritual development and thriving of leaders. He is the principal writer of the daily devotional, Life for Leaders,...