I recently read about a TV commercial wherein a young man was struggling with whether to go through with an arranged marriage. In his home country, arranged marriages were the norm. But after living in America, he had second thoughts about adhering to this ancient custom, especially since he'd never met his wife-to-be.
He arrived at the airport and dutifully waited for her with flowers in hand and a gloomy expression on his face. When she stepped through the terminal, everything changed. Suddenly his gloomed demeanor disappeared. The thought of marrying this woman was no longer a dreaded duty; it was a delight. Why?
He saw her beauty and was open to growing in a relationship with her.
Read St. John 4:9-42
Often, we worship God out of obligation, but our hearts aren't in it. We're like that guy at the airport, grudgingly holding flowers for God with a gloomy appearance.
Some acts of Worship involve singing; praying; preaching/teaching; giving; sharing in the Holy Sacrament, and other religious ceremonies. If acts of worship don't occur from spirit and truth, they are simply acts.
We become what we worship! In other words, our deities shape our identities.
True Worship involves fully recognizing and accepting God's person, power, and purpose through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Knowledge of Christ and acceptance of His way, truth, and life enable us to share in His divine nature.
As we gaze upon His grandeur and glory, obedience ceases to be difficult.
Once we grasp His great love, worship is no longer a duty—it's a delight!
True worship results in a transformed life.
In St. John 7:37-38 (The New Living Translation), Jesus offers an invitation, "Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, 'Rivers of living water will flow from his heart."
Are you content with showing up at the wellspring of life doing what you've always done? Or, will you show up and be open to a new experience that could transform your life?
God is looking for you to worship Him in spirit and in truth!