so i read a quote today by writer/theologian N.T. Wright. It wasn't exactly an earth shattering revelation, but it was something i needed to hear and be reminded of. It was on the topic of worship, and what that means, and why we worship to begin with.
"You become like what you worship. When you gaze in awe, admiration, and wonder at something or someone, you begin to take on something of the character of the object of your worship."
i think that's especially true when we aren't worshiping God. because God is love, if we aren't loving our neighbors and caring more about ourselves than others, maybe we're worshiping something other than God. God is love, He calls us to love Him, and love others. I think i haven't been doing that. I can go through all the motions of 'christian living' but if it's not rooted in love, i'm worshiping a system or a religion rather than worshiping God.
N.T. Wright says later about what worship does for you
"Because you were made in God's image, worship makes you more truly human. When you gaze in love and gratitude at the God in whose image you were made, you do indeed grow. You discover more of what it means to be fully alive."
i think that's something i need to do more, is really look to God in love and gratitude, not to just know God is there, but to really acknowledge all that He has done in me and is doing in me.
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2 comments:
That is a pretty cool way to think of it.
I feel like I have a million thoughts in my brain about this and so I'm not sure how to say what I'm thinking; here goes. First of all, I like that quote, I think I've heard it before, good ol' NT...You are talking about loving God and I think the difference between doing something for yourself, and doing something for God is the motivation in your heart, or who you are loving in doing what you've done: whether that be yourself or God. That's what set apart Jesus from the pharisees, aka sounding brass or clanging cymbals. Pharisees were doing things that were good, but they were doing it for themselves, and they became increasingly self-righteous and less aware of their need for God. Their "good" actions were meaningless because they were loveless. I think the trouble is that we value what we can see, and sometimes it takes a while for us to change to become like what we worship. Sometimes we look good, and it looks like we have our priorities straight, but if our eyes aren't on God then the taste left by our actions is, in the long run, bitter and non-productive and we become less like God because we are motivated by sinful, self-seeking hearts.
Psh. I dunno if this made sense at all.
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