Worship is a funny thing; not "LOL" funny, but "Hmmm..." funny. So many times we go to what we call "Sunday Morning Worship;" we have "worship" services; we sing "worship" songs; the list goes on and on. We use the word "worship" almost like we use the word "love." Have we lost the meaning of the word?
Jesus said, "God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24, NIV) So what does this mean and how does it apply to real life today?
First, we must worship God in spirit. Our spirit is that part of us that communes with God's Spirit as it works within us; not our mind, not even our heart. This is not about feelings, this is about deep communication with the Spirit of God. And yet, true worship can not only change the way we feel, true worship can work in spite of the way we feel; as long as we are willing to seek God in our spirit.
Secondly, we worship God in truth. Remember that truth is not subjective. We must always be sure that our worship of God is in accordance with the Word of God. Everything we say, do, sing and pray must pass the test of scripture. It can be as simple as, "Am I saying this in Love, or out of spite?" or "Does this song reflect a biblical truth or is it just something that I want to say?" I used to tell our Youth group in West Virginia all the time, "Truth is a person, and His name is Jesus." So by this definition, true worship must follow the example of Jesus. How did He worship? He met with God at least daily, He learned His scripture, He treated others with Grace, He loved others and had compassion on the needy and oppressed, the list goes on. But these are the kind of questions we must ask ourselves as we try to worship God.
The good news is this: while we will never get it exactly right here on earth, a day is coming when everything will be as it was meant to be from the beginning. In the mean time, when we set our hearts on the pursuit of "spirit and truth," God will honor the sacrifice made in His Name. God knows the difference between a Son or Daughter truly seeking Him as He desires, and someone going through the motions in order to fill a perceived obligation... and maybe that's 'nuf said.
JonWesley
Jesus said, "God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24, NIV) So what does this mean and how does it apply to real life today?
First, we must worship God in spirit. Our spirit is that part of us that communes with God's Spirit as it works within us; not our mind, not even our heart. This is not about feelings, this is about deep communication with the Spirit of God. And yet, true worship can not only change the way we feel, true worship can work in spite of the way we feel; as long as we are willing to seek God in our spirit.
Secondly, we worship God in truth. Remember that truth is not subjective. We must always be sure that our worship of God is in accordance with the Word of God. Everything we say, do, sing and pray must pass the test of scripture. It can be as simple as, "Am I saying this in Love, or out of spite?" or "Does this song reflect a biblical truth or is it just something that I want to say?" I used to tell our Youth group in West Virginia all the time, "Truth is a person, and His name is Jesus." So by this definition, true worship must follow the example of Jesus. How did He worship? He met with God at least daily, He learned His scripture, He treated others with Grace, He loved others and had compassion on the needy and oppressed, the list goes on. But these are the kind of questions we must ask ourselves as we try to worship God.
The good news is this: while we will never get it exactly right here on earth, a day is coming when everything will be as it was meant to be from the beginning. In the mean time, when we set our hearts on the pursuit of "spirit and truth," God will honor the sacrifice made in His Name. God knows the difference between a Son or Daughter truly seeking Him as He desires, and someone going through the motions in order to fill a perceived obligation... and maybe that's 'nuf said.
JonWesley
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