The Innate Desire of Humans to Worship

Dear Alia,

You ask “Why do you feel there is an innate human desire to worship”? Also included in your question you inquire about the application of worship to rock concerts and revival tents.  It appears that there is a second question lingering that may be “why is there an innate human desire to worship so many different things?”. These are good questions! I cannot pretend to have the perfect, sufficient or complete answer to those questions, but I will offer you four things to think about. (These questions could require a doctorial thesis to address them adequately.)

1. God designed the human race to be relational.

Deep within the center of all human beings lays a desperate need for relationship. Relationship with God, other people, animals…and literally all that exists in creation. Like cars are made to be driven, so people are made to be in relationship. One can observe this through the basic empirical evidence throughout the history of civilization.

2. God designed worship to be relational because he is relational.

This is most evident in the Christian understanding of the triune nature of God. God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are in perfect relationship with each other. We are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27) and thus we are created to live in perfect relationship with God and others. The concept of relationship is complex and multifaceted, but within it lays the act of worship. Worship could easily be considered the highest form of relationship because it is involves themes of admiration, glorification, homage, and submission.

3. God designed the human race to worship him.

In the Old Testament Exodus event God clearly stated: “Do not worship any other god” (Exodus 34:14…and dozens of other passages)

4. People choose to worship other gods because of sin.

In Romans 1:25 the apostle Paul wrote “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the creator…”. The existence of free human will allows for people the choice to turn from God and give their worship to other things. The innate human desire for relationship fuels people’s passion to worship something. If God is not worshipped, humans quickly and readily worship other ‘gods’…like people and material possessions.

Conclusion

“Why do you feel there is an innate human desire to worship”? and “Why is there an innate human desire to worship so many different things?”. Relationship. 

In Jesus Christ,

Dan Collison