Worshipping through receiving

We've now reached the month of Christmas, the time we tend to focus on giving to and receiving from others (this isn't a bad thing, but let's be honest here: we all want to receive as well!). This is fine, as it comes from celebrating how God gave to us and how we received from Him. However, I want to focus on a different kind of gift in this blog, a gift that God just revealed to me this morning. And this blog is focused on receiving that gift, not necessarily about giving. In a later blog maybe I'll share about giving or directly share about receiving the gift of Jesus, but this blog isn't directly about receiving the gift of Jesus.

It is about receiving the gift of worship.

Before we go on, let me be clear that I'm not talking about spiritual gifts here. I'm talking about the concept of worship being wrapped up in a precious box with beautiful wrapping paper and given to each and every one of us. I'm going to take the risk of saying that no, worship is NOT ALL about sacrifice and giving ourselves to Him - that is ONE part (and a very important part!) but before we are even able to do that, we need to receive from Him. Worship is an ability that God has given to us, a precious gift that gives us purpose to live. 

"Worship isn't just something you do for Me, but it's a gift of love and a special ability that I enable you to do. It's a gift from Me"

Remember Mary and Martha? Mary sat at Jesus' feet listening to Him while Martha served Him. Which of these is more important? I'll say it loud and clear, and before I do I just want to point out that God JUST reminded me of this the other day because I had gone too far in the wrong direction. It is that "God doesn't want our sacrifices, our work, our ministries - He wants US! He wants us to be with Him and RECEIVE from Him!" Jesus came to give life so that we could live it to the full no matter what circumstances we are facing. It gives God joy to see us living life to the full, having received His love. 

When the Samaritan woman met Jesus in John 4, He told her that the time is coming, and is here now, where true worshippers will worship in Spirit and in Truth. He then went on to talk with his disciples about harvesting (receiving the fruit from our ministries).  But before all of this, in verse 14, He gives the invitation to drink from His well, from living water. I don't read this as just stories from history but instead as a letter from God to me, and so I see it as Jesus first inviting US to drink, then helping us understand the meaning of worship, and lastly, speaking to us about serving Him. Receiving this drink is something we need to do in order to serve Him, and it's something we need to do daily, or even hourly!

"I don't get it - I thought worship was about sacrificing, giving my life to You?" This was my question to God this morning when He was revealing these things to me.

When we don't worship through BEING with God first, we won't worship when we sacrifice or serve - we'll be worshipping ourselves and others. We might serve, sacrifice, and give FOR HIM, but when we don't receive from Him first then we're doing it in our own strength, and when we're doing it in our own strength we're not worshipping Him through our serving, because it's impossible to worship Him through our own strength. Worshipping God is a GIFT from Him to us and something we can only do through Him! It is a connection between us and God through Spirit and Truth, a way for us to receive from Him, and a way for us to serve Him through the strength that we've received from Him.

Back to the story of the Samaritan woman - she was able to go and tell others about Jesus AFTER she realised the revelations about who He was and received the knowledge that He KNEW HER. One of my favourite verses about worship is in Romans 12. Do you know how it begins? It tells us to give ourselves as a living sacrifice to God BECAUSE OF all He has done for us. So we need to know before we can sacrifice! And many of the chapters of Romans before this chapter are focused on helping us to know our sin, to know God and what He's done for us, before it goes on to Chapter 12 which is about OUR sacrifice. So that shows that receiving Him and knowing Him is just as important (if not, then more important!) than giving of ourselves through serving.

In conclusion, the act of receiving this precious, life-giving water, IS worship! Who would have thought that worship is also US RECEIVING and not just us sacrificing? Wow!!! How many of you have children? For me, when my child does something wrong, my desire is for him to cuddle up with me and receive my love and forgiveness. I just want him to sit on my lap and BE with me. How much more does our perfect Father want that with us!!! He desires for us to sit with Him, be with Him, receive Him, feed from Him - this is the first very important way that we worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.