Our Bible Study to get ready for the
Youth Gathering told us that we were created to praise God. Isn’t that kind
of... self-centered on God’s part?"
That’s a very natural response considering that God
tells us not to be proud or boastful, but to be humble.
I recently read a book called It’s Not About Me
by Christian author Max Lucado. One chapter is entitled "Divine Self-Promotion."
In response to all the times we are told to praise God and give him glory,
Lucado writes:
"Surprised? Isn’t such an attitude, dare we ask,
self-centered? Don’t we deem this behavior "self-promotion"? Why does God
broadcast himself?
For the same reason the pilot of the lifeboat does.
Think of it this way. You’re floundering neck-deep in a
dark, cold sea. Your ship is sinking. Your life jacket is deflating. Your
strength is waning. Through the ink-black night comes the voice of a lifeboat
pilot. He’s there, but you can’t see him.
What do you want the lifeboat driver to do?
Be quiet? Say nothing? Sneak his way through the
drowning passengers? By no means! You need volume! Amp it up buddy! In biblical
jargon, you want him to "show his glory." You need to hear him say, "I’m here.
I’m strong. I have room for you. I can save you!" Drowning passengers want -
need - the pilot to reveal his power and superiority.
Don’t we want God to do the same? Look around. People
thrash about in seas of guilt, anger, hatred, despair, sin. Life isn’t working.
We’re going down fast. We need to see God’s glory. We need a strong hand to pull
us into a safe boat.
And once aboard the lifeboat, what becomes our priority?
Simple. Promote God. Declare his power and superiority.
"Hey! Strong boat over here! Expert pilot. He can pull you out!"
In short, we praise God not so much for his benefit, but
for ours and the people around us. We need reminders that God is the great one -
not us. And the people around us who are drowning in the sea of life need to
hear that God is the only one with power to pull them out.
Thanks for
asking,
Pastor David
Send your
questions to
pastor@livingwordlutheran.net
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