John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

My dad taught me how to fish and hunt. He taught me how to work on the car. He taught me how to build a house. He never talked to me about politics or finance. There were a lot of things my dad didn’t talk to me about, never broached the subjects in any way. Maybe that was because he didn’t have an answer for questions, or it made him uncomfortable. I don’t know.

I find the same thing happens with many of my brothers and sisters in Christ. We don’t talk about certain things, maybe because we don’t have an answer and that makes us uncomfortable. During our worship today this thought came to mind. We never talk about worshipping God in spirit and in truth.

Being one who is bold, let me start off the conversation. Feedback would be greatly welcomed.

The Holy Spirit dwells within me and He is God. God doesn’t answer to me, I do not control the Spirit. Worship in the Spirit is not within my control. What is in my control is my mind, will and emotions. In order for me to worship in the spirit, all I have to do is quiet self and let the Spirit do what the Spirit does best, be God. We all have problems. We all have concerns. Worship is about being there for God, it isn’t about us. So if you can lay it all down for fifteen minutes for God in worship, you can pick it back up again while the pastor preaches. Sorry pastors, that’s for another devotional.

In truth, try thinking of it in these terms, with sincerity. We are not here to worship God to be seen. We are not here out of habit. Being under grace we aren’t here by commandment either. Worship is a sign of devotion. It is a way to show God that you love Him, truly.

Well that’s my viewpoint. What’s yours?

Psalm 3:6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.

I watched my disciple play an overwhelming game of chess one day. She took off every piece of her opponent’s army, so that nothing was left but the King. The game ended in a draw because she failed to place her opponent in checkmate.

I had taught her mate in two. I had taught her mate in three, four, five, even up to seven. The principles of chess she understood. The swindle, the trap and the poison pawn where all taught and learned well.

She got obsessed with the power game. She loved to humiliate her opponents but failed to learn the lessons of the primary goal, checkmate.

So how does that relate to Christianity?

The primary goal of Christianity is salvation.

Surrounding a person and taking away every option to escape your onslaught does not win them to Christ.

Matthew 28:19 a Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, (ESV)

We can teach them all things but they have to learn for themselves the art of the surrender.

You cannot recognize how checkmate works until you have first surrendered yourself to Christ.