From the moment worship first appears in Scripture the concept has been inseparable from sacrifice. Sacrifice!? Yes. Sacrifice. Not music. Not warm and happy feelings. Not cathartic emotional experiences. Sacrifice.
When Abraham tells his servants that he and Isaac will go up the mountain to worship (Genesis 22:5), he isn’t talking about singing a song. He is preparing to lay down what is most precious to him in obedience to God.
TAYA captures the weight of this moment so well:
"What worship was in that moment was obedience to the voice of the Lord and sacrifice. So to me, that's what worship is."
Worship That Costs Something
A little personal confession: My wife and I moved to Jerusalem for a year. That might sound adventurous, spiritual, or even crazy given the current situation and war happening here, but we felt called, so we went.
And let me be real—it has been hard. No family. Few friends. I miss my huge American parking lots and SUVs with space for 13. Everything here is small. Old cities tend to be so. I think humans were just smaller thousands of years ago, but I can't back that statement up with facts.
My wife, bless her, adapts better than I do, but for me? It’s been a major adjustment. The culture, the language, the lifestyle—it’s all different. Some days, I question why we did this.
Woe is me, right? Okay, I’m whining. But my point is that sacrifice is uncomfortable. Worship—real worship—will cost us something. And here’s the kicker: That’s the way it should be.
Every morning, I look out at the Temple Mount and remember that this has always been a place of costly worship. This is where King David, despite being offered the land for free, insisted on paying for it because, as he put it:
"I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing." —2 Samuel 24:24
David got it. Worship isn’t cheap. The Israelites who made the long, exhausting pilgrimage to Jerusalem got it too. They climbed uphill, step by step, bringing their best offerings—not their leftovers. And they climbed these hills three times a year for the high holidays. That's why they are called, "high." The Jews were required to go up to Jerusalem for Rosh Hashanah, Sukkot, and Yom Kippur.
And yet, how often do we, today, in the West, give God what’s convenient rather than what costs?
The Sacrifices That Move God
If we look at Scripture, God always responds to costly worship. Abraham’s obedience. Hannah’s surrender. The widow’s last two coins. And, of course, Jesus giving everything on the cross.
"Maybe the breakthrough you're waiting for requires a sacrifice of praise. Worship that costs you something." —Joshua Swanson, The Walk Podcast
Maybe the sacrifice God is asking of you isn’t moving to another country. Maybe it’s something else. Maybe it’s:
-Giving financially when it stretches you.
-Stepping out in faith despite fear.
-Forgiving someone who doesn’t deserve it.
-Saying yes to a call that scares you.
Romans 12:1 lays it out so clearly:
"Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship."
True worship is not just about what we sing—it’s about what we surrender.
A Fragrant Offering
A sacrifice that costs nothing… is no sacrifice at all.
But when we lay down what is precious to us, it becomes a fragrant offering before the Lord. And as Jesus showed us, the greatest acts of worship are also the greatest acts of love.
So, here’s the question: What are you willing to put on the altar today? What will your worship cost you?
Because when worship costs us something, it moves the heart of God.
And when God is moved, things change.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/nastya_ph
Alongside his wife, R.J. Swanson, he has been actively involved in anti-human trafficking initiatives since 2009. He also works to foster connections between Christian and Jewish business and faith leaders, consulting for organizations in both Israel and the U.S. An avid traveler and food enthusiast, Joshua shares culinary adventures on the Paired! blog.
