The Great Paradigm Shift

In recent years, we have entered uncertain times across the globe as macro-stressors and micro-stressors collide. Unfortunately, this collision between global and national trials with personal adversity has fueled the fire of individual hardships.

Before 2020, many of us had grown weary of the political divide that most nations face. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic ushered us into a new normal no one could have imagined. It was the first global domino to fall. Things have only escalated from there.

Many current events are forcing us to process macro-stressors alongside our personal micro-stressors. These external national and global pressures have exacerbated the burdens we already carry from work, school, or home.

In Christ Jesus, we have a hope we can embrace through His many precious promises to help us combat the overwhelming stress we encounter in these troubling times. In Romans 8:28, we read of God’s promise to work all things together for good for those who love and are called of God. Once we rest on this promise, we can embrace many others.

Intimacy with Christ is key to accessing all His exceeding great and precious promises. Thankfully, we have a surefire means to ignite or reignite the intimacy God is calling for. In a word: Consecration. Through consecration, we can forge a lifestyle of True Worship. But what is “True Worship?”

True Worship

John chapter 4 introduces a woman from Samaria who meets Jesus while fetching water from Jacob’s well in Sychar. During their discussion regarding worship, she notes two places Israelites went to worship—the Jews went to Jerusalem, but the Samaritans trekked to Mount Gerizim.

In response, Jesus presents a paradigm shift. He changes the focus from an external, physical place of worship to an eternal place of worship in the very presence of God—a place free from time and space. He introduced a concept that some call “Spirit-Led Worship,” and others, “True-Worship” when He said,

“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the True Worshipers 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.”

(John 4:23-24, KJV)

But what is Spirit-led or True Worship? True Worship is more than performing ritualistic acts or offering repetitive prayers. True Worship encompasses both conscious and unconscious acts of worship while embracing Christ’s command to love. It’s not just lip service. It’s life service. True Worship is a lifestyle of holy living.

We embrace the term “True Worship” because Jesus declared Himself to be “the Truth.” He is not only God in the flesh but also the Word of God. He embodies everything Scripture addresses “pertaining to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). Thus, when we fully embrace Jesus’ teachings and live according to His directives, we begin our journey into True Worship.

Does this mean holiness is required to begin a True Worship experience? No! Christ didn’t come to this world to condemn us but to save us (John 3:17). Yet, transforming our relationship with God through true worship will reshape our lifestyles. The more time we commit to acts of worship, the deeper our love for Him grows. The deeper our love for Him grows, the less likely we are to offend Him by willfully sinning. Thus, in time, our intimacy with Him will grow and redirect our lives to align with His will.

Tomorrow, we will explore how to ignite deepened intimacy through consecration.

Reflection:

One of Jesus’ teachings is to “… love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:31). Determine if you are in alignment with His will by reflecting on the past couple of weeks. If you are, write a short letter to God expressing your gratitude for the grace to obey His directives. If not, ask Him to open your eyes and show you what you can do to extend selfless-neighborly love today. Then, ask Him for the grace to carry out what He instructs.