Building lives involves finding a balance between meeting people's needs and looking outward. Many people who are not born-again Christians but who believe in the existence of God (with a moderate deist bent) often tell you that God has better things to do than take care of their little selves, which, in light of the Scriptures, is completely wrong; and they only resort to prayer in completely desperate situations.
On the other hand, the opposite phenomenon prevails among some believers, namely a certain obsession with oneself, a relationship with God sometimes with 'consumeristic' overtones. Many of us are consumers of the product God and its derivatives, whose sole concern is the satisfaction of personal needs, to the exclusion of all else. And there is an obligation to constantly direct one's gaze outwards.
It is clear that many, if not the majority, Christians are not at all interested in God's mission on earth, which consists of reconciling men with Him, and are convinced that it does not matter; God understands that it is not their 'thing'. However, the more I meditate on the text of the scriptures, the more I am convinced that, on the other hand, not only is it essential, it is an absolute imperative, even a commandment from God, which we blithely and lightly ignore, and this, to our detriment.
I fear that we are wasting our lives on ourselves alone, absorbed in personal 'blessing,' and far removed from our mission on earth; and that we shall find, to our sorrow, before the throne of God, that we have been most unfaithful.
The challenge is therefore to find the balance: to paint the portrait of a God
• who deeply loves individuals, who saves, who delivers, heals, restores, and yes, who makes prosperous, and encourages people to receive all these benefits; but also
• who has expectations of us, who asks us to live in such a way as to honor Him, who asks that we devote our existence to His mission and to bringing men to Him;
• a God who counts His wealth in human lives.
Question asked: enrich God or be a simple consumer of God?
I read your post titled “consumer of God”
You know when we come to Christ we have always been preached that this aspect of life with God consists of centering everything on ourselves, that is to say on our needs without however seeking first His kingdom. By reading this message it allowed me to review my way of walking with God, not always asking but asking him Father what can I do today for You.