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 of the Bible (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.