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A God Who Needs To Be Praised?

In one of the online forums I visit occasionally, someone recently asked the question, "How can I believe in a God who needs to be praised?"

The short answer is, of course, "You can't". What's unbelievable is not so much that the creator of the universe might be suffering deep personal insecurity and be in constant need of affirmation. That would be odd, but not a complete logical impossibility! What's unbelievable is the ridiculous notion that his insecurity might somehow be compensated by a bunch of humans constantly telling him how wonderful he is.

If there is a God at all, he surely does not *need* our praise. But if what he wants from us is relationship, that would really explain where praise fits in.

First of all, praise is a vital part of any healthy relationship. It's so easy to tear down and criticise each other. We also need to take time to affirm and build each other up. If God has taken toward us the relationship of father, and our relationship with him is the model for all our relationships, then it has to include praise.

Secondly, praise matters because life is tough. It's not easy to stay on track, make the right choices, overcome obstacles, and do right by the people around us. Biblically, the praise of God is something people direct to one another (eg Psalm 35:18, Psalm 57:9); to remind us that we have a loving father who is powerful, who is looking out for us, and who can be trusted to provide wise advice and strong loving support whenever need it.

Lastly, in a world full of cynicism and complaint, a family that exudes praise and affirmation will stand out as different, and offering something beyond just the 'power of positive thinking'; something that is vibrant, relational, and built on an infinite resource of power and love.
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Comments

Jawahar said…
Awesome thought about the need in Praising God... I never thought like this... thanks a lot..
11 August 2011 at 16:21
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