For Who He Is

Depending on the circles in which you’ve traveled, you may have heard this phrase: "Worship God for who He is, not for what He can do for you." The phrase sounds pretty good, but it’s based on a false premise: that God is a liar.

We are all liars, and among other things, that means that who we are and what we do are not always the same. Even the very nicest people act like jerks at times. Though, per God, I am righteous, I’d be the first to tell you I don’t always act that way. Likewise, some folks are fabulous at putting on a sweet act that covers over a totally filthy soul.

God isn’t like that. What He does is exactly, entirely, always 100% the same as who He is. Suppose we worship Him as a provider. How can we worship that part of His identity and then turn around and look to someone else for our provision? The answer is clear: we can’t.

Mind you, I agree that it’s incorrect to look at God as a heavenly Santa Claus. There is more to worshipping Him than running to Him for all the stuff we want. On the other hand, our worship isn’t even near to being truthful if we talk about how marvelously strong He is, and then seek protection elsewhere. Our worship is fake if we gush, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart," and then live our lives according to the dictates of the world or wear ourselves out trying to get what we want.

Here is an example: When I moved into my new­to­me home, I received dozens of coupons in the mail, and one of them was for a free manicure at a local spa. I’d never had a manicure, but since it was free, I gave it a try. Lo and behold, I loved having painted fingernails! I’d had them done in a nice, rich color that caught my eye frequently throughout the day, and I really liked it.

Problem was, the spa was expensive, and I couldn’t justify paying that much money just to have nice-looking nails. So what to do? Do I condemn my desires, squelch them, and reduce my level of happiness just a little bit? Do I struggle and strive to come up with the money to do what I want? I can tell you, neither of those options qualifies as "worship," but there is an option that does.

I can go to God, tell Him what I would like, and ask Him to give it to me. A manicure seems unimportant, and frankly, it is unimportant. But if God is worthy of worship, then He is worthy to be trusted with every tiny desire that blooms inside my heart.

What’s more, if I’m not trusting Him with every tiny desire that blooms inside my heart, I’m not worshipping Him—for what He does or for who He is.

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