Made…to Love God

MTV has a reality TV show called “Made” which is about how average, ordinary people can be “made” into the person they dream to be. An ugly duckling transforms into a beautiful prom queen. An overweight couch potato becomes a model. A sci-fi nerd morphs into a hardcore rapper. MTV summarizes the show by saying, “Why stand on the sidelines watching others live your dream? Are you too shy or think you’re not `cool’ enough to get in on the action? Or do you simply lack self-confidence and motivation? Well, maybe it’s time to stand up and get MADE! That’s right, MADE is about making dreams come true. We’re here to prove that with dedication, hard work and a little help from MTV, kids just like you can accomplish anything they set their minds to.”

Well, it sure is a good thing that MTV came along! I remember when MTV came out when I was in high school, and it was just videos of pop stars singing their songs. Now they have morphed into the developmental role of helping kids become what MTV portrays as successful. My only question is, When these kids are “made” into rappers or prom queens or models, will they truly find what they’re looking for? It reminds me of a U2 song that says, “I have climbed the highest mountain, I have run through the fields…I have crawled, I have scaled these city walls…But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.” If we asked all the prom queens in the country and all the rap artists and all the models if they’re happy with their lives and what they’ve “made” of themselves, would they say they are? Or, like many of us, would they simply wish they could be “made” into someone else?

This is the struggle of the American dream. We want to “make” something of our lives, and we all have a picture in our minds of what that looks like, and it’s usually whatever we’re not. And if we ever do “arrive” at our destination, we discover that the destination isn’t what we thought it was. We find out that, “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.”

So let me just ask you–Why were you made? What are you looking for? And whatever “it” is, then why is it that once you have “it,” you find out that “it” isn’t what you thought it would be, and you begin to search for another “it”–whether it’s a different spouse, or more money, or new job? We work hard to “make something of ourselves,” but sometimes we forget to think about what that “something” is. Henry David Thoreau once wrote, “It is not enough to be industrious; so are the ants. What are you industrious about?”

Same thing in our spiritual lives. Why go to church? Why do church? Why do we work hard to have weekend worship services? Why do we recruit and train small group leaders? Why should we work hard at spiritual disciplines of prayer, worship, Bible study, and so forth? Now hear me in this–all of these things I just mentioned are MEANS to an end; they are not the END. We were not made to have worship services, small groups, and ministry teams. We were not made even to pray or study our Bibles. We talk a lot about what we’re supposed to do, but we don’t often pause to think about WHY we do what we do. WHY WERE WE MADE? Well, as a leadership, we have wrestled with this, questioned this, asked the hard questions of why we do what we do. And what we came up with is our new mission statement that defines not only why we exist as a church, but, we believe, why we exist as individuals. We were made to…Love God, love others, serve the world.

Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love the Lord God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. And the second greatest commandment is to love our neighbor as ourselves. These two sum up the whole law. Love God. Love others. Our love of God and others is then what motivates us to serve the world. Everything else we do in life is subservient to these three areas. If we make it our life ambition to make money, to be popular, to be successful–whatever that ambition may be–it will never satisfy the soul. Why? Because we weren’t made for those things. Why were we made? To love God, and from His love we can love others and serve the world.

About this entry

You’re currently reading “Made…to Love God,” an entry on Rick Grover’s Weblog

Published:: January 8, 2009 / 8:36 pm

Category:: Made

Tags:

Bo Barron, CCIM 1.9.09 / 6am

Why are we made? What is our purpose? Great questions – THE questions, really. If you look at John 17:3 “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” and then take a look at Matt 28 and the Great Commission, I would re-phrase and say our purpose is to know God and make him known (I stole this slogan from a college ministry).

Our small group has just talking about history early this week. Specifically, about how our present is defined by the events of the past. We process current information by running it through the grid of our past experiences and what we know to be true and real – our paradigms. Telling a lie, for instance, can not be done without rewriting history or what has happened in the past. So it occured to me that the Lord has laid out a role to play in history – His Story. My life is not about me. It is about living my life in God’s will – or playing my role.

This gets back to your premise of the MTV show. Those who live their lives solely for their own purposes – for their own glory – are ever frustrated, empty, unfulfilled. But for those that have found their purpose in knowing God and playing their role in His will and design experience peace, fulfillment, GRACE….

Marla 1.12.09 / 1am

I have been wrestling with this question of why we were made all afternoon. I’ve basically been a Christian my entire life, so I thought I had the answer to this one years ago. However, when you posed this question of why we were made in the sermon today, my long-time answer was not the same as yours. Therefore, I have spent most of the day looking at what God has to say about this in the Bible. Since blogs are all about airing one’s personal beliefs, opinions, and ideas, and since I think this is a great forum for further discussion of ideas presented in the pulpit, I’d like to throw out this idea.

I am afraid that when we say that God made us to love Him and to love others, we are putting way too much emphasis on what WE DO, and not on what God has already done. We are giving ourselves far too much credit. There is nothing in me that would choose to love Him. I love Him because He has enabled me to love Him, because He first loved me. (1 John 4:19)

Rather, God made me to GLORIFY Him. Out of all He created, mankind is His greatest achievement. Just as the heavens and the earth point to our marvelous Creator, so do we. God commands my love, but He does not need it. Romans 11:36 says, “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever!” All things, including mankind, were made to glorify God. We exist because He wills it. Revelation 4:11 says, “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” Both of these passages juxtapose God’s creation with God’s glory.

Does glorifying God involving loving God? Absolutely! They’re intricately related. How do I bring glory to God? We read about it today. John 15:8 tells us that when we bear much fruit, we glorify our Father. The sermon today told us to remain in Him. It did not tell us HOW to remain in Him. We read verse 10, but did not examine it. When we OBEY God’s commands, we remain in His love. (And how do I know God’s commands? I study His Word.) So here’s how it works: God loved me. Because He first loved me, I am able to love Him in response. Then I obey His commands and bear much fruit. My life thus looks different from the rest of the world and my life points to my Creator. I bring GLORY to God!

Now, one might argue that these two positions are the same thing and it’s really just a matter of semantics. The semantics, however, are VERY important in this case. The difference is the focus. Saying I was made to love God puts the focus on me. Saying I was made to glorify God puts the focus where it belongs, on our God and Creator.

Marla 1.12.09 / 2am

Found one more scripture I just couldn’t resist sharing:
Isaiah 43:6-7 “Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth–everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

rickgrover 1.12.09 / 2pm

Great discussion! May we all come to know God in a personal way where we glorify Him in all we do, and may we love Him through His Son, Jesus, with every fiber of our being!

Rev. Kasey Burt 1.21.09 / 9pm

Rick:
I like what you have to say here. It really isn’t about being popular, having the best stuff or even looking really buff. All of that can really be summed up as the distractions of the world. Things that get our focus off God, off His Kingdom.

When I start thinking about why am “I” here, why was I made; quickly the gears are shifted off me and back onto Him. HE is why I am here, to love and fellowship and help lead others to Him.

Rev. Kasey

C 1.31.09 / 8pm

Rick,

Your doing an awesome job as Sr. pastor at OCC. You can see the holy spirit dripping from you everyday.

Thank You for coming to Owensboro – God is using you to change lives.

Rick Grover’s Weblog

Made…to Love God

About this entry

6 Comments

Have your say

Recently

Categories