Half-Hearted Worship: When We Acknowledge God but Cling to Our Idols

This post is by Kelli McLeod.

We Are Made to Worship

 Every human was created to worship God. Period. There is no getting around it. According to the New City Catechism, “God created us male and female in his own image to know him, love him, live with him, and glorify him. And it is right that we who were created by God should live to his glory.” 

 And we do worship. Our hearts have an instinct for it, even if we don’t worship the One we are made for.

They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. (Romans 1:25)

We all worship something, even nonbelievers. Christian or not, we bow to the throne of someone or something—money, sex, a popstar we idolize, or the pursuit of being a certain shape or size. Most would like to believe that we worship Jesus alone. But what happens when we try to give God partial worship while clinging to our idols?

Acknowledging God Isn’t the Same as Worshiping Him

King Nebuchadnezzar was guilty of partial worship. He was the king of Babylon in the book of Daniel. He was the king that overran Jerusalem and took Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah captive. These men eventually were chosen for the king’s service. Later, when none of the king’s wise men could interpret a troubling dream, God revealed it to Daniel, who explained it to the king (see Daniel 1-2).

The Bible says that the Nebuchadnezzar declared, "Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets” (Daniel 2: 47). 

Those were some pretty strong words of praise, but it was short lived. In the very next chapter, King Nebuchadnezzar builds a statue of gold and decrees that everyone worship it or be thrown into the fiery furnace (Daniel 3).

Nebuchadnezzar didn’t reject God outright, he simply added Him to collections of things worshiped. We often do the same—acknowledge God just enough to feel “covered,” while continuing to worship comfort, control, success, approval, or security.

God’s Jealous Love and His Patient Mercy

Don’t be fooled. God is a jealous God (Exodus 34:14). But His jealousy isn’t petty. It is protective, like a loving spouse who refuses to share his or her partner’s affection with another. God not only desires, but deserves, our wholehearted devotion.

Partial worship, whether we recognize it or not, is idolatry.

Despite Nebuchadnezzar’s arrogance and idolatry, God continued to reveal Himself. He used the fiery furnace, Daniel’s counsel, and ultimately through Nebuchadnezzar’s own humbling (Daniel 4:28-37). God is just as gracious with us. When he reveals our idols, it’s not to condemn us but to set us free.

Return to True Worship

Does God have your full or partial worship? What idols might be competing for your affection today? 

God is patient, faithful, and always ready to receive our repentance. Worship isn’t just an isolated act. It’s a continual turning of our hearts toward Him, the One who alone is worthy of our praise.

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you… Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. (James 4:8, 10)

Kelli McLeod (formerly Kelli LaFram) has been writing blog post and co-authoring Bible studies for Hello Morning for many years. She has also led Bible studies in her home and serves in the worship and children’s ministries at her local church. Kelli is an elementary school teacher and her hobbies include blogging about God’s word, listening to audiobooks with her children, and drinking good (decaf) coffee. Currently, she is only writing for Hello Mornings, but you can connect with her at https://www.instagram.com/ms.kelli.mcleod/.