I recently read an article on secular humanism where one of the followers was quoted as saying, "If God were really so vain as to insist on being constantly worshipped, then he would not be worth it." and I couldn't help but literally shake my head and wonder, "Do the majority of non-believers really think that the topic of praise and faith are that simple? Or worse, that the billions who call themselves believers are that simple?"
To think that Christians are called upon to glorify God for the obligation of satisfying His ego is to completely misinterpret the purpose of worship. God doesn't request that we exalt Him because of some multitude of mythical insecurities on His part or some raging Divine "attitude." It's quite the opposite. Like any loving, benevolent figure, Our Father has asked us to remember Him in our hearts and thoughts as a way of keeping us in touch with not only the Divine, but also to bond us to a unified sense of humanity, to remind us that there is more relevance to our existence than our own wants and desires, and that our lives extend far beyond our immediate circle. When we take time to praise our Creator, we consciously set aside the frenetic (and often frivolous) aspects of our daily routines to reflect on grace and brotherhood and fellowship. The process of giving thanks to God allows us to dwell within the mystical and ponder feats that otherwise, we may not contemplate, but it also allows us to reach out to our fellow man in a very tangible manner. It makes sense to me that as human animals, we feel limited by our biology. When we make room for that which is larger than ourselves, we often feel those limitations subside.
So, for those of us who are believers, praise and reverence to our Creator is a choice. It's not forced upon us, or demanded. It's requested...in a whisper and responded to in a resounding joy from a place so deep and mysterious, many of us forget it exists. We waste so much of our day on tasks that are meaningless (and forgotten almost before we complete them) that being beholden to praise and reflection of God not only seems worth it...but, at least for me - necessary.
To think that Christians are called upon to glorify God for the obligation of satisfying His ego is to completely misinterpret the purpose of worship. God doesn't request that we exalt Him because of some multitude of mythical insecurities on His part or some raging Divine "attitude." It's quite the opposite. Like any loving, benevolent figure, Our Father has asked us to remember Him in our hearts and thoughts as a way of keeping us in touch with not only the Divine, but also to bond us to a unified sense of humanity, to remind us that there is more relevance to our existence than our own wants and desires, and that our lives extend far beyond our immediate circle. When we take time to praise our Creator, we consciously set aside the frenetic (and often frivolous) aspects of our daily routines to reflect on grace and brotherhood and fellowship. The process of giving thanks to God allows us to dwell within the mystical and ponder feats that otherwise, we may not contemplate, but it also allows us to reach out to our fellow man in a very tangible manner. It makes sense to me that as human animals, we feel limited by our biology. When we make room for that which is larger than ourselves, we often feel those limitations subside.
So, for those of us who are believers, praise and reverence to our Creator is a choice. It's not forced upon us, or demanded. It's requested...in a whisper and responded to in a resounding joy from a place so deep and mysterious, many of us forget it exists. We waste so much of our day on tasks that are meaningless (and forgotten almost before we complete them) that being beholden to praise and reflection of God not only seems worth it...but, at least for me - necessary.
Couldn't have said it better my self. Ever notice how godless materialism turns people into a kind of perpetual children. Aspirations, Morals, Values, Spirituality, intellect. Not to say materialism hasn't served its purpose - but I think that's about the only thing it's good at.
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