Feeling of uncertainty about worship vs a bribe

[guidog]

please help me:

Please help me with proverb 21:27

The sacrifice of an evil person is detestable, especially when it is offered with wrong motives. Our study bible describes it as follows:

The kind of worship (“sacrifice”) described in this proverb is no better than a bribe.

How do people try to bribe God? They may go to church, tithe , or volunteer, not because of their love and devotion to God, but because they hope God will bless them in return.
But God has made it very clear that he desires obedience and love more than religious ritual. (see 21:3: 1 Samuel 15:22) God does not want our sacrifices of time, energy, and money alone, he wants our heart—our complete love and devotion. We may be able to bribe people (21:14) but we cannot bribe God.

As I try hard to get close to God I want to have the love in my heart for him. I do not want to do things for God as a bribe. I worry that I may be guilty of this. It is sort of a fine line for me. I want to obey and worship God, but I do want something in return. I want peace, love, harmony, and tranquility in my life and I ask God to watch over my family and friends etc. But how do I know for sure I am not just wanting to do these things as a swap for my worship to him. I suppose I just don’t have the true love in my heart for God yet because this worries me. I don’t mean to expect a trade with God for my worship, but this passage sort of makes me feel I could be guilty of such things.

any comments?

 

[Trishie]

You’re human. It’s difficult to separate these things. We know that God understands our limitations, and that He expects of us the best we can manage.

You are not an evil person, and you offer your praise and worship the best you can manage as a human person.
Be honest with Jesus about how you feel. Ask Him that your offering be made pleasing in His sight, even though…of course you are anxious for the welfare of your family.

My human best

God, to the best of my human ability and knowledge at this moment, I give You everything I am and possess.

I stand before You foolish and unworthy, yet with the best that I know to give—the offering of my being with its endowments and achievements, my warmest affection, clearest understanding, best contrition and the greatest honour that I can ‘achieve’ in this little instant of trust.

Behold me compassionately in the tiny human perfection of this moment, and grant me unity in the eternal immensity of perfection, which is You, our God. Thank You that You accept such meagre gift of life and effort in exchange for blessings and eternal gifts for other’s souls.

“A spark of pure love is more precious before God, more useful for the soul, and richer in benedictions for the Church than all other works taken together.” (St John of the Cross)

 

[Trishie]

Commitment

Our God, for sake of souls, I commit myself and my entire life—past, present and future—to Your merciful love. I trust in Your love to accept this submission and make it complete.

Have mercy upon everyone whom You wish to bless through me, and do not let my limitations or doubts curtail Your use of me as vehicle of blessing or vessel of honour.

My faults are fragile barriers to the flood of Your grace, if I live Your will and have faith in Your powerful love. Deepen my trust in Your will to use Your limitless power of love even in me.

God, love and glorify Yourself in us

Our God, how can I fulfil Your commandments to others and to love and worship God above all?

Unlike holy souls who effuse great joy and praise, my attempts to love and worship You seem very poor. I am child of a scientific and empirical era in a world of physical realities and challenges. I desire faith in Your loving action in temporal affairs even where it is hidden. I desire to praise and love in whatever way You desire, however little understanding I have of Your ways and truth.

It seems to me that loving You is about choices. Jesus witnessed that our salvation depends upon love and service of God in other persons. He proclaimed that, “Whatever you do for even the least of my little ones, you do for Me” who am God. Therefore, we love and worship You in our care of others.

You command that we love others enough to strive even unto death of something of ourselves for their welfare, as Jesus did. I ask You to love others wholeheartedly in my thoughts, prayers, my words and actions. Please bring about blessings for them even in my worst failures to witness Your love. Please develop my trust in Your loving action in temporal affairs even where it remains hidden.

We glorify You in the Eucharist, that summit of worship, petition, and thanksgiving, God’s own offering and fulfilment through Son and Spirit, with the whole Body of Christ. We worship You in the Eucharist as individuals, yet as brothers and sisters of the community. Let me, let us, thus love and worship You in communion.

Blessed be Jesus, who gives us redemption and Eucharist. Blessed be the Spirit who channels His Gift, and gives us creative ways to praise and love God. Blessed be God who is able to give Yourself the honour and praise that we desire to give You.

God alone can appreciate the depths of God, therefore love and delight Yourself in us so that we truly love You. I ask that whatever my activity or state of mind, You will love and adore Yourself in me, our God.

Delight Yourself within me in every moment of my existence. This is possible to You for whom “nothing is impossible.” [Genesis 8:14]

 

[Scottgun]

Remember that faith is an act of the will, not a feeling. If you offer with the deliberate intention of it to be for the love of God, then tell all that murky subconcious stuff that is trying to convince you of mixed motives to go jump in the lake.

 

[guidog]

Thanks for your responses. I am new worshiper of God and it will take a while before I get to be close freinds.

g

 

[JRKH]

please help me:

Please help me with proverb 21:27

The sacrifice of an evil person is detestable, especially when it is offered with wrong motives. Our study bible describes it as follows:

The kind of worship (“sacrifice”) described in this proverb is no better than a bribe.

How do people try to bribe God? They may go to church, tithe , or volunteer, not because of their love and devotion to God, but because they hope God will bless them in return.
But God has made it very clear that he desires obedience and love more than religious ritual. (see 21:3: 1 Samuel 15:22) God does not want our sacrifices of time, energy, and money alone, he wants our heart—our complete love and devotion. We may be able to bribe people (21:14) but we cannot bribe God.

First of all let me say that this is a very good and valid question/cnocern for all of us. Many people seem to fall into the trap of trying to weigh a balance between doing good works to offset bad ones. A theology of balancing the scales as it were. The “Call to Holiness” that is the central point being a true Christian cannot be based on such earthly foolishness. It needs to transcend the natural to attain the supernatural.

As I try hard to get close to God I want to have the love in my heart for him. I do not want to do things for God as a bribe. I worry that I may be guilty of this. It is sort of a fine line for me. I want to obey and worship God, but I do want something in return. I want peace, love, harmony, and tranquility in my life and I ask God to watch over my family and friends etc. But how do I know for sure I am not just wanting to do these things as a swap for my worship to him. I suppose I just don’t have the true love in my heart for God yet because this worries me. I don’t mean to expect a trade with God for my worship, but this passage sort of makes me feel I could be guilty of such things.

any comments?

Even the great saints have struggled with this and many have written about it. If I may suggest a book it would be, “The Fulfillment of All Desire”. I am reading it now and it is truly wonderful and full of the insights of the great mystics of the Church. (At the link there are about 5 pages you can read to see if you like it)
Basically I would suggest that you need to answer a couple of basic questions for yoruself.

1. What is my main motivation for doing this or that thing?
2. Does this act Glorify God?
3. Am I expecting anything from it in the way of personal gain?
4. Am I willing to accept God’s will in my life regardless of what that is?
5. Based on the above, am I making God’s will also my will by acceptance and Praise?

None of us can reach our Goal of Holiness without many trials such as you relate. However the fact that you are asking these questions seems to show a sincere desire to grow in Holiness. May God Bless you on your Journey.