Last night an atheist posed an answer to me that was very good and brought the issue to mind of why Christians serve God.
If you are a believer, you believe that God is real. Since God is real to you, God has attributes and has done things that make Him worthy of your genuine love. IF YOU ARE A BELIEVER, WHAT IS YOUR MOTIVATION IN SERVICE TO GOD? If you serve God to
get yourself into Heaven, or to keep yourself from going to hell, then you really dont serve God genuinely out of love for Him, you are looking out for #1. The point the Atheist made was, if you are not serving God for reward, or to keep from going to hell, what is the point in serving God? THE IRONY OF THIS IS, CHRIST SACRIFICED HIMSELF FOR US, AND MANY PEOPLE ARE ONLY SACRIFICING TO GET SOMETHING FOR THEMSELVES.
NO WONDER MANY BELIEVE CHRISTIANS ARE HYPOCRITS. I THANK THE PERSON WHO WOKE ME UP, I SERVE GOD BECAUSE I LOVE HIM, WHETHER THERE IS REWARD OR NOT. AMEN.
2006-12-15 03:23:14 · 19 answers · asked by Lover of God 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Wow what a great question, pretending to obey God only fools yourself and maybe those around you, but it will not fool God.
2006-12-15 03:26:13 · answer #1 · answered by Sentinel 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
As far as my experience goes a beliver in any faith of relegion is praying or practicing the relegion for his own benefit.,ie., achieving a heaven after death. If they throw a penny into the beggar's bowl they dream of a heaven being made for them. In my openion all such believers are the most selfish lot. Where as an athiest does such an act purely on the humanitarian love and regard. (And searching the history it can be seen that the most attricious crimes on humanity, be it the atom bombing of Hiroshima,or the attack on the pentagon tower killing innocent people were done by the believers).
2006-12-15 11:37:18 · answer #2 · answered by ahakadar 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think your motivation in service is "service" itself. The key to it is to be of service in a "selfless" way. All this 'thinking' about your motivation is obscuring what you are looking at. Lay the 'thinking' aside, just get on with it without allowing "Self" to get in the way. The only barrier between you and God is the one you put there yourself. Just let go of holding on to the idea that you and God are separate things. The other point I would make is that there is no separation between God and service. Just go with the
flow man. Let God be expressed in everything you are.
2006-12-15 11:48:12 · answer #3 · answered by Eso_ uk 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I serve God, for God. I do not worry about Hell, and I would serve God even if there was no Hell. I serve Him because I love him and I want to, not for any threat of pain and suffering. When I returned to God, it was not because I wanted to "cover my bases" but because I felt in my heart that God was right. I have never in my life even once worried about Hell.
2006-12-15 11:29:44 · answer #4 · answered by sister steph 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Love is a two-way street. You give, then you receive. The more you love, the more you receive. But you don't love in order to receive. The Greeks had four words to describe different aspects of love. Eros is erotical, sexual love. Philia is brotherly love. There's Storge, but I can't remember what it means. Then there's Agape - the love Jesus displayed when he gave up his life for humankind, in order to glorify his father.
Why do we serve God? What is our motivation? Because God is love, and we are created in his image and we are fulfilled when we reciprocate this divine love, the purest, highest love imaginable. It's not for reward. It's for the glorification of God in whose image we are created.
2006-12-15 15:38:58 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I really think you have to accept that as humans we are not perfect, so of course we wont get it right. The thing is that we are saved by grace. Nothing we can do will get us to heaven, only Jesus will. Motivation is not perfect either and so that's where we have to trust in God that with all our mistakes and all our stupidity we still strive and look to him. Hopefully with the knowledge that HE SAVED US and HE IS GONNA GET US THERE, he wont go back on his word.
2006-12-15 11:29:17 · answer #6 · answered by : 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am a lover of God - how could I not love my Father? - my motivation to serve Him is His unconditional love for me and my love for Him.
I am a lover of God who struggles with sin not a lover of sin who struggles with God =)
Anyway its not about what you do for God or give up for God. Its about having a relationship, and filling that void inside, with Him. Nothing else is lastingly satisfying =D
2006-12-15 11:48:19 · answer #7 · answered by jelliebabe7 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Remember God loves a trier.
2006-12-15 11:26:42 · answer #8 · answered by Rudebox77 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think for a lot of people it's very much 'Pascal's Wager'.
Basically, you might as well believe in God. If he doesn't exist, what have you to lose? If he does you're laughing.
2006-12-15 15:18:11 · answer #9 · answered by AndyB 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Good point.
To be honest, I don't care about my bacon. If I go to hell, big whup. I'll just ignore it and read Harry Potter.
2006-12-15 11:28:39 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋