The second reason that we praise God is for us. It is to remind us of our relative position in the grand scheme of things.
Paul does this through the questions he poses in his doxology. Do we give counsel to God? Does God need to repay us for something? Do we even have the capacity to understand the degree of God’s knowledge? These are all framing questions to re-orient our thinking to a right position in relationship to God.
Without this type of reminder in our praise, we can very quickly get big headed and fall into the most common sin of man, that we want to be god. This was the temptation in the fall of man and has been a key temptation ever since. Even when we make other idols in our lives, they are always ones that we have made placing us in a position above them.
As Christians, we can just as easily fall into this trap as anyone else and the demons take far more delight in seeing us fall. We can say things like, “I’m doing this for God” or “I’m giving this up for Jesus.” God doesn’t need your stuff. He doesn’t need your money. He doesn’t need your activity. He is everything, He owns everything, He created everything including you and me. We cannot do something to make God better off. We also say things like, “I don’t want to let God down.” Newsflash: You aren’t holding Him up. God is perfectly able to stand without your support.
Understanding our position is not to be confused with the lie that we are worthless. Sometimes in imaging the vastness and glory of God we start to feel a bit smaller than an ant. However, in God’s eyes we are His precious creation, made in His image and He loves us so much that He offered His own Son for us. We are not worthless, we are of immense value to God. Not because of what we think, say or do, but because He is God and He loves us and we are His children.
My Answers:
9.
Who knows more than God or gives Him advice? NO ONE
10.
We “do things for God”, but He doesn’t need our help. We don’t “want to let God down” but we aren’t holding Him up. We think far more highly of ourselves that is right. God gives us talents and treasures and allows us to participate in His will. He is the creator and master of all. God is creator, we should repent. God gave man dominion over the world (not over God), He alone is majestic. the nations are as nothing, no one is God’s equal
11.
I get big headed and start to believe I have a job to do to “help God”, not that He has mercy to allow me to participate
I really like this one!!