Ever wonder why most churches reserve a significant portion of their Sunday services for the singing of songs? I've had conversations with several people where that "why" question came up, and there are so many answers...God deserves our worship because He's holy, because He's good, because He's done so much for us, and on and on...but that response seems to fall short for many people.
So I'd like to pose some other questions. Do we worship God to remind Him that He's God, because every so often He forgets? Or maybe God has a subtle inferiority complex and requires that we sing to Him at least once a week to boost His ego a bit? And when we worship God, does He actually become more God than He was before we worshiped Him?
What I'm hinting at (if you're totally confused right now) is that I think there's something missing inside of us if we're asking "why" worship (and I can say so, cuz I've been missing it before :-). When we truly catch a glimpse of who God really is, the automatic response of our heart is worship. It's automatic, it's irresistible, and it's authentic. If you've not experienced that feeling, then I dare say that you have not yet seen God for who He really is! (by the way, none of us have arrived...it's a never-ending journey!)
But back to my ridiculous questions: Do we worship God to remind Him that He's God, because every so often He forgets? NO...we worship God to remind US that He's God, because sometimes we seem to forget. Or maybe God has a subtle inferiority complex and requires that we sing to Him at least once a week to boost His ego a bit? Please! We're the ones with insecurities, and through worship, God affirms us as His beloved! And when we worship God, does He actually become more God than He was before we worshiped Him? No--He's "the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Heb 13:8)...but He does become "more God" within us the more we get to know Him and understand that He's greater than all of our fears, worries, and struggles.
So WHO needs worship? WE do. God is God whether we worship or not! He truly delights in our worship, but He does not need it. We're the ones who benefit. When we choose to honor Him as God and exalt Him above ourselves, there's an intrinsic realization that we were created for this, that we are loved unconditionally, that we were chosen by Him before we ever knew Him. We remind ourselves that He is God, that we are of incredible value to Him, and that with Him, we can overcome anything.
So I'd like to pose some other questions. Do we worship God to remind Him that He's God, because every so often He forgets? Or maybe God has a subtle inferiority complex and requires that we sing to Him at least once a week to boost His ego a bit? And when we worship God, does He actually become more God than He was before we worshiped Him?
What I'm hinting at (if you're totally confused right now) is that I think there's something missing inside of us if we're asking "why" worship (and I can say so, cuz I've been missing it before :-). When we truly catch a glimpse of who God really is, the automatic response of our heart is worship. It's automatic, it's irresistible, and it's authentic. If you've not experienced that feeling, then I dare say that you have not yet seen God for who He really is! (by the way, none of us have arrived...it's a never-ending journey!)
But back to my ridiculous questions: Do we worship God to remind Him that He's God, because every so often He forgets? NO...we worship God to remind US that He's God, because sometimes we seem to forget. Or maybe God has a subtle inferiority complex and requires that we sing to Him at least once a week to boost His ego a bit? Please! We're the ones with insecurities, and through worship, God affirms us as His beloved! And when we worship God, does He actually become more God than He was before we worshiped Him? No--He's "the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Heb 13:8)...but He does become "more God" within us the more we get to know Him and understand that He's greater than all of our fears, worries, and struggles.
So WHO needs worship? WE do. God is God whether we worship or not! He truly delights in our worship, but He does not need it. We're the ones who benefit. When we choose to honor Him as God and exalt Him above ourselves, there's an intrinsic realization that we were created for this, that we are loved unconditionally, that we were chosen by Him before we ever knew Him. We remind ourselves that He is God, that we are of incredible value to Him, and that with Him, we can overcome anything.
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