“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:24
I’ve been thinking about this verse a lot lately. (It may be out of context, but bear with me.) I occasionally fall into the trap of thinking “worship” means singing, but in reality, every part of life is worship. If we truly want to bring glory and honor to God with our lives, everything we do should have that goal. That is worship, and according to Jesus’ words in this verse, we need both spirit and truth to do that.
Lately, as I’ve been waiting for word about my future in Ireland, I’ve seen this idea in a new light.
The “truth” side of me wants to plan and figure out a plan B for what my next steps might be if I’m taken away from here – even for a short time. Making plans and thinking through things is wisdom; as long as God is involved in the process, planning is a good idea. God gave us brains and the ability to reason, and He expects us to use them and do our best to make wise decisions.
On the other hand, I believe deep in my spirit God has said this island is my home for now. I am trusting that any back-up plans I make won’t be necessary. I am walking in faith, believing He is working on my behalf even if I can’t see the results yet. As I pray and listen to His Spirit, I am making plans and moving forward as though I will still be here in a few weeks. I am continuing to pour into relationships instead of pulling back; I am spending my time continuing my life here instead of beginning to pack it all up.
Sometimes, spirit and truth seem to conflict. Some of the things I’ve done while following God’s guidance seemed ridiculous at the time. Giving up a guaranteed place to staff in Hawaii for a slight possibility of moving to Ireland, moving to a new country on a one-way ticket without ever seeing the place before, hitchhiking to a tidal island for a two night stay without accommodation available anywhere on the island… Those are just a few of the times in the past few years when the “truth” side of me thought the “spirit” side had lost its mind. I’m fairly certain a lot of people agreed, and maybe they still do.
And yet, in each of those situations – and many others! – God showed up in big ways. I believe He was honored and glorified in my obedience at the time and now each time I share the stories, I get to lift His name high and tell of His faithfulness again.
It’s good to ask for wisdom. We should do everything we can to make wise decisions and worship God in truth, in reality. However, we also need to be aware that our view of “reality” and “truth” is limited. Sometimes God will lead us to worship in spirit, stepping out in faith without seeing the whole picture He is able to see.
Is His Spirit leading you outside the realm of truth that’s visible to you today? Take the leap. I promise it’s worth it!
