DIVINE MEMORABILIA

God's Going to Be Okay

Recently, I did some research into the cult of Santeria for GotQuestions.org. Followers of this religion worship orishas, which they believe to be powerful but mortal spirits. While these orishas are supposedly capable of granting blessings, healing, and good fortune, they are dependent upon humans for their survival. Without human worship, they would grow weak and lose their ability to exert influence upon the world. It baffles me that a person could put so much trust into a god that needs them just as much as they need it.

How thankful I am that the One True God is self-sufficient (Acts 17:24-25). He does not need our prayers to survive. His power is not affected by how much we do or do not worship Him. He would not fade away if every human being stopped believing in Him. If mankind never existed, God would be just fine and dandy.

Here's a brain twister for you: Prayer is not for God. Going to church is not for God. Reading your Bible is not for God. God doesn't need your prayer. He doesn't need you to go to church. He doesn't need you to read your Bible. No, you cannot do those things for God. In fact, there is nothing you can do to change the way God thinks about you (Romans 5:8) or what He has done for you (Ephesians 2:9).

Truly, mankind is a mere worm in comparison to God (Job 25:6). If we can do nothing for God, what's the point of doing anything spiritual at all?

Now here's a heart twister: Those things are gifts to you from God. No, He doesn't need us. We are indeed the ones who need Him. Yet He loves us so much that He has given us these opportunities to connect with Him. He wants to help us reach Him so that we may experience a joy that surpasses our understanding (John 15:11; Psalm 54:4).

If God is going to be okay without mankind, why does He even bother? Especially since we are just a bunch of rebellious, back talking children (Isaiah 30:9). Humans are sure a lot of trouble as far as created beings go, and we always will be until the day we die (Romans 3:10). Want to know why God bothers with mankind? The answer is so easy, it's hard to believe.

Love.

That's it. Love. Love is the reason. But God didn't need someone to love. He wasn't lonely. He wasn't bored. No, He created mankind so that they could love Him and be loved by Him. He loved creating us; it gave Him pleasure (Revelation 4:11). Colossians 1:16 says that all things were created by God and for God.

Your existence was added to the timeline of eternity because God loved the idea of you and made it so (Psalm 139:13-14). His desire in making you was to show you how much He loves you, to shower His blessings upon you (John 3:16; Philippians 4:19; James 1:17). When we realize these reasons, we should naturally want to connect with our Creator, and He has given us ample ways to do so (Ephesians 2:10; John 14:15; Jeremiah 29:11).

No, God doesn't need us, but that doesn't mean He doesn't love us with an extravagance that we will never be able to fully comprehend. And we need that. Oh, how we need to be loved. How we chase after it like little lost boys and girls, clutching our empty souls, wanting only to feel like someone cares. Wanting someone to fill our deflated hearts with something that won't leak out. God has that something. He made you so that He could give it you, and you can take it any time.

"Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" —Matthew 6:26

Photo credit: Charles Clegg; Some rights reserved;

Tags: Christian-Life | God-Father | Theological-Beliefs

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Published 11-20-13