Jesus said to her, “Believe me, woman, the time is coming when you and your people will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. But the time is coming—and is here!—when true worshippers will worship in spirit and truth. The Father looks for those who worship him this way. God is spirit, and it is necessary to worship God in spirit and truth.” [John 4:21, 23-24 CEB]
Anything that we do that brings pleasure to God is an act of worship. To worship God brings Him pleasure. And worship is not something we do just on Sunday morning. “Worship is not a part of your life; it is your life” was how one author stated it. We were made to worship God. Worship is praising God in whatever we do, wherever we are.
In this passage from John, Jesus talks with the Samaritan woman at the well about the living water that whoever drinks of it will never thirst. The restlessness in our lives can only be satisfied by seeking God.
Jesus tells the woman about true worship; that true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth and that they are the kind of worshippers that God seeks. Worship is our deepest need, and it's God's infinite resource. When we worship, we turn our attention away from ourselves to God like nothing else can. And you will be amazed by how your life will change when you focus on God; how the trials and tribulations of everyday life, the frustrations in our lives, the pessimisms that haunt us, the selfish concerns that bog us down are melted away. We see things in a new light when we look at them through the glory of God.
Worship is not just something we do on Sunday morning, it's an act of recognizing God’s presence even in the everyday tasks. Everything we do in life can be turned into an act of worship—an opportunity to turn to God and bring Him praise and glory. For you see, God created us with a thirst that is quenched only by focusing on Him. And the reason for worship is not to please ourselves, but to please God. Worship is not about us. It is about God. It is not for our benefit. We worship for God’s benefit. Worship is pulling our affections off of our idols and putting them on God.
We all need to sincerely look within ourselves to see if we have the right attitude of worship. It means bringing our hearts and souls into worship and coming into His presence with passion, whether it be in our attentions, our attitudes, our prayers, or our singing.
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