Being in awe...we are incurably religious

What is awe? Why do we all experience it and seek it? When do we experience it most? 

Let's take a closer look.

We are like God; in his image and were created to participate in and experience God's majesty, ¹glory, beauty, greatness, etc. To do so, there had to be a corresponding quality within us - i.e. the capacity to behold and experience ¹glory - that would enable us to partake of and enjoy his infinite worth, majesty, i.e. His ¹glory.

This is why we are so drawn to, fascinated by, and in awe of things that are bigger, greater, or more powerful than us. 

Such as a vast mountain range or a brilliant sunset, a raging volcano, a powerful storm, or a magnificent waterfall. The common word we use when experiencing these things is "awesome." 

We are drawn also to things that are simply beautiful, creative, and excellent. The more so, the stronger the pull and drawn to them.

But Why?

Our sense of worth is tied directly to our ability to be in awe of and enjoy God's beauty, excellence, greatness, power, and worth...in a word His glory. In short, we are created to worship - to acknowledge and praise that which is of great value-worth; the greatest and most worthy being the Creator of ²all things.

This is so much a part of our makeup that if we do not acknowledge God, we turn our desire and need to praise toward other persons or things such as celebrities or a successful sports

team or a highly successful athlete, a great (effective) leader, a vast array of stars, anything beautiful such as a beautiful woman, flowers, colorful birds or other majestic creatures, as well as nature in general...and we could go on. All of these display and express qualities within God Himself who created all these things. They are glorious because they display something of the glory of their Creator who is all glorious.

If our worship and praise are not directed to God it will be directed somewhere else. We are incurably religious and must worship (ascribe worth or value to) something or someone. We are created to praise and worship that which is greatest, most beautiful, and glorious.

Why are we irresistibly ³drawn to these things? Because they resonate with our desire for beauty and express something about God's beauty and creativity. But that is only because we are like Him, in his image, with the capacity to enjoy these things. We experience our greatest worth when we partake of His.

We experience awe very early in life. It is not something we are taught. Contrary to what the atheist says, we did not create God, God created us with the desire - and capacity - to enjoy Him who is awesome. 

We also enjoy receiving praise because we were designed (as God's image bearers) for praise; not only to praise (God or others) but to be praised (valued, feel significant). 

We are like little gods but to an infinitely lesser degree than our infinite, all-wise and powerful Creator; but like Him nevertheless. We are creatures who, like God, can create from things God has made and given us, though on a far lesser scale. We are not the Almighty Creator who can simply speak things into existence. 

There is only one eternal and infinite God. We are not Him. He alone is infinite.

God is most praiseworthy of all beings and we are like him but to an infinitely lesser degree, yet still like him nevertheless.

To be like God is to desire, to be able to enjoy, and to be in awe of God.

For a discussion on the need and desire for excellence click here.

For a discussion on our desire for beauty click here, here and here.

For a discussion on how we are created for glory click here.

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¹What would be the equivalent to the word glory today? If you look at the word in the original languages the Bible was written in (OT-Hebrew and NT-Greek), it gives us an interesting picture. 

Glory

Hebrew 

H3519   כּבד    כּבוד        kâbôd  kâbôd   kaw-bode', kaw-bode'

Definition:

From H3513; properly weight; but only figuratively in a good sense, splendor or copiousness: - glorious (-ly), glory, honour (-able).

Greek 

G1392  δοξάζω  doxazō

Thayer Greek 

Definition:

1) to think, suppose, be of opinion

2) to praise, extol, magnify, celebrate

3) to honour, do honour to, hold in honour

4) to make glorious, adorn with lustre, clothe with splendour

4a) to impart glory to something, render it excellent

4b) to make renowned, render illustrious

4b1) to cause the dignity and worth of some person or thing to become manifest and acknowledged

From G1391

From the base of G1380  δοκέω

dokeō; from δόκος dokos (opinion); to have an opinion, to seem: - deem (1), expect (1), has a mind (1), inclined (1), recognized (1), regarded (1), reputation (3), reputed (1), seem (3), seemed best (1), seemed fitting (1), seemed good (4), seems (3), suppose (5), supposed (2), supposes (1), supposing (4), think (18), thinking (1), thinks (6), thought (4).

At first, it is not apparent how glory, as defined in the Old and New Testament, are connected. They seem to be very different. Is there a connection? If so, what is it?

During the Old Testament times, Israel was predominately agricultural, so the more weighty something was (or the greater the number, such as 1000 camels verses 100) the more valuable like 10 bushels are heavier and therefore of greater value than one bushel or several talents of gold weighed more than one. The greater or more "copious" the amount, the heavier its weight and the greater its value. 

To show forth or manifest the dignity and worth of something in the NT was to put it on display - show it off, if you will - such as shining a light on a copious pile of gold coins. This would reveal the greatness of its value. Or as the definition indicates "...to cause the dignity and worth of some person or thing to become manifest and acknowledged..."

Inherent in both these definitions is the central idea of great value or worth. By the simple fact that we are in God's image and therefore have the capacity to partake of, experience and display God's great worth/glory, makes us significant and of great worth. Nothing else in all creation - including angels -  can partake of God like we can. We can behold his infinite worth and display it to others unlike anything else. This is the essence of worship i.e. worth-ship...the state of being valuable, important etc. In displaying His great worth we bring Him greater honor but also experience our greatest worth and glory i.e. purpose and meaning in doing so.

²those very things we experience awe in when we encounter them. If temporary created things cause us to feel awe, how much more so their infinite Creator?!

³And we are also able to express these qualities in various ways.

What is an evil heart?

When we consider evil we usually think in terms of horrendous acts such as torture, sexual abuse or trafficking, genocide, and the like. But what about an evil heart? Is this something different than evil actions? It is - though these are connected - but unlike evil acts, an evil heart is far more common than we may think. 

This involves the why of our actions i.e. what is our motive for acting? Are we acting for the

¹glory of God or glory of self i.e. to advance God's rule (kingdom) or ²our own? We either do one or the other. These are opposite as well as opposed to each other. There is no middle ground. There can't be since God's glory and ours are ³contrary to each other.

One of these two is the ultimate end we seek in every action - from the most grand of actions to the least significant - e.g. eating and drinking. 

What is at the heart of this difference and what enables us to live for God's glory?

We must behold God's glory (His infinite worth, importance, significance etc.) and partake of it to display it. If we do not, we will not experience it or be able to extend it to others. We are left to act only for inferior self-glory (self-exaltation), for we must experience ¹glory ⁴one way or the other; ⁵legitimately or illegitimately.

Because we are created to know and partake in God - who is all glorious (most significant, important, and valuable) - but are absent this due to our rebellious distrust of God, we must experience ¹glory in some other way to function (even if inferior to the way we were designed to - i.e. in, by, and through God). To use an analogy, drinking from a toilet is better than dying of thirst...(at least initially, for we could likely die from disease if we continued doing so). Like we must have food, air, and water, we must also know we have value-significance (glory) to exist much less function well - if not physically, at least spiritually and emotionally. 

If our experience of glory comes from the Source of glory - i.e. God - we function optimally and are most fulfilled and effective, as we were designed to be. If our sense of glory (worth) is ⁶self generated or achieved, we operate contrary to our design, break down, and eventually crash and burn at all levels, i.e. spiritually, emotionally, and physically. If we are not receivers of God's glory (as we're designed to be) we become only takers or grabbers of glory from somewhere other than God, the one true Source of life, love, and all things. 

To take glory is to dishonor and harm others, God first, then our fellow image bearers. For we must take from others what they also ⁷need - i.e. their sense of dignity, importance, and worth - in order to do so.

This is the essence of an evil heart. It is the strategy we all engage in when not captivated by God's glorious love and beauty.

For a further discussion on how we are created for glory click here.

Are we actually rebels against God? For a further discussion click here.

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¹Glory - value, significance, importance etc., and a sense of these. God is most glorious and the source of all glory, we are designed to partake and participate in it.

2 Pet 1:3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

Some may wonder why or how not glorifying God is evil. Good question. If God is the Creator and sustainer of all good things, to deny this and live contrary to it (as if something other than God is the source of life) is a lie that results in actions with far-reaching and harmful consequences. Actions that point to anything as the source other than God. Causing harm is the essence of evil. For a further discussion, click here.

²Some may wonder what is wrong with building our own kingdom? Stated simply, we were created for much greater, more meaningful things. Building our own kingdom does not fit who we are (we only think it is because outside of God this is all we know and the best we can do).  Though we are created to build kingdoms - grand ones at that -  but not exclusively for ourselves but for the King of kings. We are creatures in the image of God designed to participate in Him. In doing so we find our greatest sense of meaning, purpose, and joy. 

But we must choose this. God does not force us to pursue Him, He lets us choose. 

Nevertheless enjoying Him above everything else is what we are designed for and where we find our greatest joy, meaning, and purpose. We are still a major part of the equation, just not the focus of it.

³They may be opposite but they are not separate. They are connected. How? When we glorify God we experience our greatest glory. But we do not honor-glorify God for this reason - i.e. our glory is not our focus but the result of focusing on God. We do so simply because God is all glorious and deserves all praise and all our praise. It is when we discover him as all glorious, we experience our greatest glory i.e. when we humble ourselves we are exalted...to live we must die...to find our life we must lose it... etc (This is a reoccurring theme throughout scripture, sometimes referred to as the upside-down kingdom). Experiencing our greatest glory (worth) is the fruit of recognizing God's infinite worth (glory). To see His glory, we must first die to efforts to try to obtain it independent of Him. Obtaining our own glory independent of God's not only doesn't work, it is in opposition to God as well as to us.

⁴Because we were created for glory if we do not receive it from God we will seek it elsewhere. Otherwise, we give up and die.

⁵Seeking glory illegitimately is wrong for two reasons. 

1. It is contrary to our design and therefore what is best for us (i.e. it doesn't work long term). 

2. It is also contrary to who God is, who alone is all glorious (most valuable, significant, and worthy of all our affection and loyalty) and therefore, most worthy of our trust. 

To not recognize Him as He truly is dishonors Him. He alone deserves our worship (our highest regard for His infinite worth) and faithfulness.

⁶By using creation to get a sense of glory - value (both internally through the talents/abilities He's given us and externally through the natural resources all around us).

⁷except God, who is the cause and source of all dignity, worth, and greatness.