Spirit And Truth 💬🚶♀️
“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him." ~ John 4:23
Have you ever heard someone that you know talk about themselves, perhaps as an introduction or some kind of autobiographical written work?
What did you think, or what would you think if the description being outlined or the character being painted didn't line up with what you knew factually about that person?
It would be hard to conclude anything beyond believing that the person in question was deliberately trying to trick their audience or intentionally misrepresenting themself as part of some dastardly ulterior motive.
Honestly speaking though, it is possible that that friend of yours wasn't intentionally bearing false witness in their presentation at all. It is quite conceivable that he/she believes every single word of what they were sharing about himself/herself.
How is this possible you say?
Well, for a lot of us, the residual mental image that we have of ourselves is crafted solely by what we aspire to.
What does that mean exactly?
It means that we see ourselves in actuality as being the person that we want to be, simply because we want to be that person. It has nothing to do with what we've actually done or what we do in practice.
This is why you'll find bios littered with people who love going on hikes and long walks, who have never been on a hike in their lives.
In the Bible, you'll find references to "in spirit and in truth".
In spirit speaks to what is established and emanating from your spirit, from within you. Yes, you're aspirations, beliefs, dreams, convictions, intentions... all that.
In truth on the other hand speaks to that which has been made manifest, which is actual and factual. Intentions that have been acted on and so moved from the realm of "want to do" to "have done".
That is why those who worship God, or profess Jesus ought to do so in spirit AND in truth.
One cannot profess to be a Godly person, just because they have the conviction but yet continue to live a life led by sin. Heaven forbid.
Conviction - Action = Self-Delusion
Action - Conviction = Self-Deception
Action + Conviction = Self-Development
Let us then ensure that what we say is what we do... and what we do is who we are. Let's ensure that we stand for righteousness and holiness, not just as lip service, but in Spirit And Truth.