Praise, Love And Serve

In the spiritual exercises, I am asked to meditate on the following personal constitution - "I am created to praise, love and serve God."

This seems like such a simple statement, but it carries an incredible depth of truth and opportunity for growth. In breaking this down, it starts with the primary truth that I was created. The author says it this way - "I was created by God out of love, in this particular time and place, with particular talents and temperaments, strengths and limitations." (The Ignatian Adventure, O'Brien). I am reminded of the following verses from Acts 17:26 - Amplified Bible (AMP):[26] "And He made from one [common origin, one source, one blood] all nations of men to settle on the face of the earth, having definitely determined [their] allotted periods of time and the fixed boundaries of their habitation (their settlements, lands, and abodes),..." It helps me to know that I am not a random chance, a happy mistake that somehow caused my existence, but rather anticipated, planned and purposed for this exact time, at this exact place, with the abilities and talents I have - all for a purpose.

Secondly, that purpose includes praising God. To praise Him, I must know him. How else can I rightfully assign praise for all the incredible things I see and experience. If I think this world is all the result of chance and evolution, I lose my delight and sense of order that comes from the idea that there is a loving God who created all this to reflect His nature and delight us. Knowing God helps me to make sense of my existence, and the more I know Him the better sense I have of His purpose for me.

Praise comes naturally to us when we are confronted by majesty, by awesomeness, by beauty, and when we compare our limitations to that which is limitless. God's desire is that as we draw near to Him, we gain this same sense of perspective concerning Him - His majesty, awesomeness, beauty, and eternalness. Our natural reaction to Him should be praise and if we don't experience this, than we don't rightly know Him.

Thirdly, God's great motivation is Love. In fact John writes that "God is Love" (1 John 4:8). One of the ways God defines Himself is as love. He loved the idea of me, so He created me out of love for me. He loved me so much that He died for me. He loves me so much that He comes and dwells with me. He loves me so much that He surrounded me with His creation, friends and family. He loves me so much that He created a particular purpose for me, not so that I can slave away as some little cog in a giant wheel, but rather that I might find fulfillment and satisfaction in doing that which I was uniquely positioned, and equipped to do. His hope is that when I recognize all this love that He has poured out upon me, that I will love Him in return, for more than anything love is about relationship. He wants to have relationship with me, and He desires my love.

Finally, as it relates to today's meditation, I am invited to serve God. This is the third item for a reason, as we are called into relationship, and understanding of who God is, before we would be invited to service. In other words, service should come out relationship, out of knowledge of God. So many people bypass the first two invitations, and settle on third, and never fully grasp who God is, or His love for them. Their service towards God becomes that which is repugnant to God, as He does not desire servants but rather friends and sons and daughters.

As we get to know God and enter into relationship with Him, He invites us to join Him in loving others, and drawing them to Him, and caring for His creation. Our service, is really co-laboring with Him. As we understand His will and purpose, it is our great delight to see them fulfilled, because we love Him. We will never reach an end in our discovery of who He is, or love Him completely, so there is always newness and freshness available to us in our relationship with Him.

Amen Lord, I want to Praise, Love and serve You more.