I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
—Psalm 34:1
Most Christians don’t know what the word “bless” means when they see it in the Bible. It has evolved into a religious term that gives little thought to its meaning. Many repeat “bless the Lord” until it becomes a habit. They think that by repeating it, they are blessing God.
When Scripture instructs us to bless the Lord, it doesn’t require us to simply recite words. Instead, expressing our love for God and praising and worshiping Him from our hearts truly blesses Him. This idea is radical for many because it doesn’t involve any form of service. We crave acceptance, so we often serve to receive love. However, this is not how it works with God; He desires our hearts.
Humans are so works-oriented that we feel we must do something for God to please Him. We think that if we aren’t doing something for God, we aren’t worth anything to Him. We believe our worth to God becomes proportional to how much we can do for Him. This idea gives the impression that God loves us only for what we can do, and if we aren’t doing anything for Him, He certainly won’t love us.
Many people have a deep sense of obligation to earn God’s love. They feel they must “do" things to prove their love for Him. The emphasis is then on what they can do for Him, rather than on building a relationship with Him. Our service does not equate to direct intimacy with God. The purpose of praise is for us to minister to God, and this should be our priority. When we come to God only with our problems, the first thing we often do is stop praising Him.
Don’t we love to hear others express their love for us? God is blessed by the personal expression of our love for Him. Serving God is an outward expression of our love for God, but it is not an inward expression. We don’t need to “serve” God in worship. God didn’t give us His Son just to serve Him. God wishes to communicate with you, His new creation, in spirit and truth.
God doesn’t bless us, so we will bless Him in return. If there is ever an example of unselfish love, it is God. When I bless my children with something, I do it because I love them. I don’t demand their love in return. However, I would love for them to reciprocate that love and show me their appreciation. God feels the same way. That’s how we are made, created in God’s image. Our desire to give love and to receive love reflects the likeness of God’s image. This divine attribute captures the heart of God.
If you believe that all the Lord wants from you is your service, He would love for you to continually take the time to “be” with Him and “bless” Him. Spend time with the Lord because that is the desire of His heart. You are the desire of His heart. Let Him be the desire of yours.
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