The last time we reviewed the scriptures, we discussed Christ’s role as living water. Today, as we study John 4:15-38, we further that discussion by centering on the spiritual nature of our worship of the Savior.
Heavenly Father wants us to worship Him not just in form but in Spirit (vs. 24 JST). As we keep commandments and perform ordinances, it can be easy to focus on the temporal aspects of those forms of obedience. In short, it can be simpler to celebrate the physical act of baptism but neglect the spiritual portion. We can fulfill the duties of our callings or our home or visiting teaching without considering the spirituality of these acts. We can take the sacrament without pondering the reason.
But God has told us in D&C 29:34 “all things unto me are spiritual, and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal…” All laws from Heaven are not just for our physical benefit; they exist primarily for our spiritual growth. (Kind of makes you take another look at the Word of Wisdom, doesn’t it?) We, too, must be careful that we center ourselves on the spiritual aspects of the law.
Let me give you an example. When I first joined the church, my favorite ‘commandment’ was tithing. To me, it seemed easy to check off as completed. Are you paying 10%? If the answer was ‘yes’, then you were keeping the law; if it was ‘no’, then you weren’t. After ten years, however, I have come to recognize the spiritual points behind the law. Are you writing that check grudgingly? Do you wait and put it off last, or do you celebrate it first? Did you have to readjust your budget because you already spent that money or did you automatically subtract it the first time you looked at your paycheck? The law of tithing can be a mechanical process, but how we take it and live it reflects our spiritual selves.
When the disciples returned with food to find Jesus conversing with the Samaritan woman at the well, they were surprised to hear Him announce that “I have meat to eat that ye know not of” (verse 32). He took physical sustenance from doing the spiritual work of His father.
As we involve ourselves in the ‘hustle and the bustle’ of the world, we, too, can seek to focus on the spiritual. We can take nourishment from doing the work our Father sent us to do. We can trust in the Lord to provide us with strength as we act as His hands on this Earth. And we can keep our eyes focused on eternity rather than the here and now.
Related Articles:
Gospel Doctrine: A Well of Living Water
Gospel Doctrine: Because of the Simpleness of the Way
Gospel Doctrine: Spiritually Reborn