Why do I follow God?

"Do you feel loved by God because you believe He makes much of you, or because you believe He frees you and empowers you to enjoy making much of Him?”
 
Is God a means to an end - or is it your goal to cherish Him above all?


John Piper
Pastor/ Bible Teacher

This is a great thought. Why do I follow God? Wrestling with God's goodness has some consistent results. Those results show up in different ways in our lives, but the motivations are always the same. 2 Corinthians 8:1-5 says that the Macedonian churches were in extreme poverty and severe trial and it welled up in them as rich generosity because they gave themselves first to the Lord.

Most in today's church would be mad at God and leave because God didn't take their bad life away. I cannot say that I wish to be placed in that situation or that I would long to have extreme poverty or severe trials. But I do want to have my life well up in rich generosity. What do you want to be said of you? Do you want God to dote on you or are you so blessed that in the scope of the universe, God looks down and notices you? This was David's dilemma in Psalm 8 - What is man that You are mindful of him? And we see the results in David's life of a man that didn't overestimate his own importance in the universe or in God's eyes. Read 2 Samuel 9 and 2 Samuel 24 the stories are both great examples of David being gracious to others.

I believe with all of my heart that his ability to do that came directly from his heart's posture before God. David didn't over estimate his own importance. Therefore, he was willing to pay the price to worship God through his actions. Oh, that we would love God that way.

May we see our position in the universe as it truly is. And may we realize that that position magnifies the love of God for us. And that it should translate into how we give to and treat others. May we be known as a generous people - rich in good deeds (1 Timothy 6)