Their idols cannot
speak. They must be carried because they cannot walk. – (Jer 10:5 HCSB-r)
It’s amazing how much of African idol worship
and animism has been absorbed into Christianity. Some of them are quite
innocuous (like ‘talking’ to our offerings before we place them in the offering
basket ).
Nevertheless, quite a few of these ingresses of
our ancient traditions into biblical Christianity have warped and affected our
faith. One of these is the treating of God like we used to treat our ancient
idols and deities.
In many of our traditions, the gods have to be
appeased and sacrifices offered daily at their altars. Idols whose altars are
left unattended to eventually fade into oblivion; that’s why they send such
harm to their votaries when they ignore them.
Astonishingly, many Christians still view
worship as a form of appeasement or oblation to God. However, God’s power is
not diminished on days we don’t worship Him, neither does He become grumpy if
we leave our “prayer altar” unattended. These are ideas we get from our former Orisha and Alusi worship.
God is all-sufficient; He does not need worship – whether ours or the
angels’ – to exist. Also, (even though some pastors say so), worship is not
God’s food, so we’re not giving Him His daily rations during our ‘morning
devotions’.
We need God, God doesn’t need us. He is so much
set apart from His creation, so majestic, so glorious… so unlike our weak,
petty, needy idols. As a matter of fact, it is this revelation of His
self-sufficiency and awesomeness that leads to worship. Worship is the natural
consequence of revelation.
We need to reclaim the majesty and worthiness
of God in our praise. A proper, biblical, revelation of God is what produces
true worship; because by it we see His true worth-ship, that is His true worthiness to be praised.
AMEN.
More Blessings await
you today; you’ll not miss them in Jesus’ Name.
GREG ELKAN
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