Spirit and Truth

"But an hour is coming, and now is here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth." (John 4:23)

The Bible, which is Truth, tells us a lot about worship. But if that's all we have to go by, we are given seemingly mixed messages. Scripture tells us to worship the Lord by preaching the gospel, praying for a sick person, giving a cup of water to a thirsty child, and sitting at Jesus' feet. It is not possible to sit at Jesus' feet and preach the gospel at the same time. So, how do we know what it looks like to worship God in the moments of life?

The way that we see Paul worship God in scripture looks completely different from the way that we see Mary worship Him, but both of them worshipped God. Was one of them right and one of them wrong? No, they were both worshipping the way that God created them to worship. Well, how can I look at two different worshippers in scripture and know how I was created to worship? The Bible alone cannot answer this question.

This is why the Bible tells us to worship the Lord in Spirit and in Truth.

As believers, the Holy Spirit lives in us and can lead us. The way He leads us looks different across the board and changes with seasons throughout one's lifetime. We must know His voice to know how He is calling us as individuals to worship Him on a moment by moment basis. Because this looks different for every person, we cannot judge others when their lives look different from ours. They may be doing exactly what God has called them to do.

For a season, the Lord may call me to rest in Him and love Him by just meeting Him alone. That doesn't mean that I shouldn't share His love or talk to someone if the opportunity presents itself, but my focus may not be on going out and spreading His truth.

Then, He may want me to really invest in people and pour into them for a season. He may call me to go pray for the sick or cast out demons in His Name or enjoy fellowship with other believers. I must listen to His voice and follow Him.

We are called to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength and to love our neighbors as ourselves. How we do this on a day to day basis is revealed to us by God's Spirit. As we look to Him, He will show us how to live each day.