We live in a time full of temptation and distractions that take our minds off God and put our focus on this mortal life, rather than on the eternal life that awaits those who follow Jesus with all their hearts. We have so much going on in our lives with work, television, sports, socializing, materialism, family, friends, that we leave very little time for God. So what can we learn from Jesus’ words to the woman at the well in John 4? Let’s look at the verses:
John 4:21,23,24 ….’Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.’
One thing that stands out for me is that Jesus says we MUST worship God in spirit and truth. So this is a command. Now notice what He says first. That it doesn’t matter where you worship God, because God isn’t concerned with where you worship, and what type of building you worship in, but HOW you worship. Afterall, God is a spirit and isn’t concerned with material things. He isn’t concerned with how good the worship band are, or how funny the preacher is. No, He is concerned with the state of your heart.
So how do we worship God in spirit? Well, take a look at the first and greatest commandment. Mark 12:30 ….’And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.’ This is how we worship God in spirit. We give our all for Him, all our time, all our money, all our possessions, everything. We hand it all over to Him. Can you say that prayer? …. “Lord, here I am with everything I have. Take it all and use it for your glory.” Could you let everything in your life go for Jesus? You need to!
God must come first in our lives. I would suggest that you do a test in your life and see if God is first. Do you spend more time with God than you do watching the TV? Do you spend more time with God than with your friends? Do you spend more time with God than playing sport? Do you read the Bible more than you read novels? If not, then you need to get on your knees and ask God to help you put Him first in your life. If you find that you are unable to stop watching the TV, then throw it out, do whatever it takes to put God first. Afterall, Jesus said that if your right hand causes you to sin, cut if off. That means whatever in your life is causing you to sin or is stopping you spend time with Him, then get rid of it. Friend, this is eternity we are talking about. Don’t lose it just for some temporary pleasures in this short life.
How do we worship God in truth? Take a look at the following two verses:
John 17:17 ….’Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.’
2 Timothy 2:15 ….’Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.’
We need to study and live according to the truth in God’s Word. Not according to the tradition of man, like many professing Christians do, but according to the Word of God alone. We must base our beliefs on scripture alone, and nothing else. There are too many Christians being led by their pastors, and not studying the Word for themselves, and they are being deceived. This is why there are so many different denominations out there, because Christians are not studying for themselves. We must be like the Bereans, who studied everyday to find the truth. Acts 17:11 …’These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.’
Time is short, we must give our all for our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We must study His Word each day. We must put Him first in our lives, and worship Him in spirit and truth. If you would like to find out more about how to worship God in spirit and truth, then visit www.worshipinspiritandtruth.net which has free Bible studies and more information about this issue.