Ok, my friend Crystal just wrote about her bible study and what she has learned from this week's study in her blog and it has got me thinking...so, I am sharing what she shared and asking you what you think on this topic!
Her basic thought inspired by A.W. Tozer was that God--who created us in His own image--is like us and wants to be loved for who He is--not just what He does for us. I know that I feel this way--I really don't like to be "liked or enjoyed" b/c I do something for someone. I want someone to enjoy me--my personality, my strengths, my thoughts despite my flaws(although God has none of these). So, how do I tell God that He is amazing without just thinking He is amazing for the miraculous things He does for me and others. Do you have any thoughts on this? Could you write out a line or two of praise to Him for who He is in my comment section? I would love some inspiring thoughts of praise to Him.
Here's one of mine... You are the kindest and most comforting friend I know. You never give up on me and always are so smooth in how you change my imperfections without condemnation. I love you!
Ok, even this...is something that He does for me. So, do we praise Him for character traits? Holiness, Loving, Forgiving, Truthful...even some of these involve Him giving to us. Hmm...
So, what are your praise lines and/or your thoughts on this subject. Type away. If you don't know how to leave a comment, just click on the comment link and type your thoughts...then either sign in or pick the button of anonymous and you don't have to sign in. If you do this option, just sign your name in your text so we know who it's coming from.
4 comments:
It is hard to separate who God is from what He gives or does for us. But I like your list of Holy, Truthful, etc. He's also the amazing creator of the mind boggling heavens and earth. He is unbelievably patient and just. He has a rich plan for each and everyone of us, and He can use anything He wants to accomplish His Will. Being Soveriegn is also pretty amazing and worthy of praise. He's so amazing!
I think that the only way we know about faithfulness or unconditional love or forgiveness (or any other characteristic we ascribe to our Creator) is in relationship to other humans. We know unconditional love because at some point we received it from someone in our life. So, how we do we praise God? Generally by thanking Him for His involvement in our own life.
The thing I've been really thinking about and meditating on lately is more about what it means that He lives inside of us. I've start thinking about that and becoming more aware of that on a moment by moment basis, it's amazing how my perception of Him has changed and my interactions with Him have change because of that. Just what I'm thinking more about these days... :)
Good thoughts ladies!! I know I have amazingly deep friends! I love it!
Karen
Well, I LOVE this quote from C.S. Lewis; makes complete sense to me!
“[Lewis] But the most obvious fact about praise – whether of God or anything – strangely escaped me. I thought of it in terms of compliment, approval, or the giving of honour. I had never noticed that all enjoyment spontaneously overflows into praise unless . . . shyness or the fear of boring others is deliberately brought in to check it. The world rings with praise – lovers praising their mistresses [Romeo praising Juliet and vice versa], readers their favourite poet, walkers praising the countryside, players praising their favourite game – praise of weather, wines, dishes, actors, motors, horses, colleges, countries, historical personages, children, flowers, mountains, rare stamps, rare beetles, even sometimes politicians or scholars. . . . Except where intolerably adverse circumstances interfere, praise almost seems to be inner health made audible. . . . I had not noticed either that just as men spontaneously praise whatever they value, so they spontaneously urge us to join them in praising it: 'Isn't she lovely? Wasn't it glorious? Don't you think that magnificent?' The Psalmists in telling everyone to praise God are doing what all men do when they speak of what they care about. My whole, more general, difficulty about the praise of God depended on my absurdly denying to us, as regards the supremely Valuable, what we delight to do, what indeed we can't help doing, about everything else we value.”
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