Why do we worship God?

Why do we worship God . . . . . . if we can worship the most holy and glorious lady, the Mother of God? Okay don't worry, I was kidding! I'll try again.

Why do we worship God?

I don't know.

People probably assumes that I write something because I have something to tell people. Not true. Part of the purpose of writing is to explore and to search for answers. Is the purpose of having a readership at all is simply to invite to people to join the same search and exploration? Oh No! It's overrated. Sometimes I prefer to be in a safe and secure intellectual bubble in which we achieve self-gratification by petting each other in the back and simply just confirm what we already believe. That sounds like a plan.

Why do we worship God? What is the whole purpose? Is it just because it is something that we have to do? But why? If we don't do it, we go to hell. But why is that the case?

First of all, I don't think God needs anything from us. Our Holy Scripture can attest to the fact that God is in a state of perfection. If God needs anything, then God lacks something. If God lacks something, He is not perfect anymore right? Second of all, because God is all powerful, he can have whatever he needs instantaneously. Whatever humans can provide is abysmally meager compare to what God can provide for himself. I really don't think God needs our worship or our love.

From our own perspective, I also think that it is preposterous to worship God for the reason of getting something in return. One pastor told me that the more we worship God the more spiritual power we gain. Others have told me that by sincere and continous worship, we will be blessed with happiness and financial prosperity. I don't like this line of thinking either. Is God some sort of vending machine? Someday when tragedy strikes in your personal life or when you are not prosperous, you either think that you did something wrong or God is not real enough to you. Also when tragedy happens to other people, you think they did something wrong. I don't think accumulation of wealth is a personal goal that Jesus would endorse.

Many of told me that the purpose of worship is to glorify God. That explanation also has problems. What does the word "glorify" mean? When Moses went up to Mount Sinai, he asked God to show him his glory. What happened next was visual, mystical, and tangible. There was bright white light and thunder and lightning besides the fact that God can actually be heard. If that is what we mean by "glorify", we are doing a terrible job. I think today's context, glorify means to extend the manifestation of God's presence. Does God "need" to be glorified? I think any beings that created this universe is already glorified. Through this creation, his glory already manifested itself. I can't say this idea makes sense to me completely.

One idea that sort of makes sense to me is that through worship we honor God. Because God is our father in heaven, and we are called God's children, we need to honor God like children honor their fathers. In the OT, the idea of honoring parents has paramount importance from the perspective of God. This seems really strange in today's culture because nursing homes are proper place for our parents when they get old.

Anyways, personally I worship neither because I expect anything in return nor do I consider it an act to please God nor to placate the wraith of God. I do it simple because I want to, and it is a joy for me to do so. Wow! I sound irrational for a change. I am proud of myself.