By: Rita Early

You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.  

John 4:22

Have you ever come across a word in the Bible and needed to look it up to see if it meant what you thought it meant? I’ve had to look up “prudent,” “haste” and “cast,” which basically mean “to give careful thought,” “rush” and “hurl,” respectively. I also thought I had a pretty good understanding of “worship” until I looked it up.

“The American Heritage Dictionary” defines “worship” as “reverent love and allegiance accorded a deity, idol, or sacred object.”

Does this definition bother you as much as it bothers me? I know Jesus is whom I worship, but how does Abba, my living God, want to be worshipped? How do I show Jesus reverent love and allegiance?

My first thought when I hear the word “worship” is singing, and that is certainly one way to worship. Psalm 66:3 says, “Say to God, ‘How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you. All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing the praises of your name.’”

Yes, this is exactly how I’ve always understood the act of worship, but we don’t have to be worship leaders to worship, nor do we even have to be in church!

In John 4:19, Jesus breaks worship down for us when He tells the woman at the well, “Believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.”

Jesus explains that where you worship is no longer important. He then goes on to say, “You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews” (John 4:22).

He sets up the stage for her to not only get to know Him but to also be an active participant in spreading the good news. She is about to go and execute Psalm 66:3 by telling about His great deeds and praising His name!

And there is the root of the problem I have with “The American Heritage Dictionary”: It doesn’t say “reverent love and allegiance accorded to our Lord Jesus Christ”—because we get to decide who or what we worship.

“‘Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is Spirit and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth’” (John 4:23).

We become “true worshipers” when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. The Holy Spirit comes and dwells within us, and we become His holy temple (1 Corinthians 6:9).

Thus, wherever we go, whatever we say or do is an opportunity to worship when it is done in the Spirit and in truth. My allegiance and reverent love for God is not limited to singing in church or in my car. I can worship God by how I live my life, renewing and transforming my mind (Romans 12:1).