God demands worship. That can be a challenging statement for those who have struggled with their faith or were not raised in a God-fearing home. To be clear, God, by definition, is a being worthy of praise and worship.

How can a being demand worship and not be self-absorbed or egotistical? I briefly addressed this in a sermon some time ago (“Why Would God Create People He Knew Would Go to Hell?” 12/19/21). I was reading a book* and ran across a fascinating explanation. Inanimate objects are often said to be deserving of admiration. But that’s not because the object has done anything. We use that expression because it is the only appropriate response to it. 

Admiration or worship of God is the only adequate, correct, or appropriate response to Him. If we stand before Him and don’t do those things, we behave unorthodoxly. It would be comparable to standing before a dignitary and not paying them the customary respect. It is true that God demands praise or worship, but not in the way an egotistical tyrant would. He demands it because that is the only appropriate response to Him! Just like the great painting demands your praise or words of adoration. The beauty and splendor of such an object require it. Regarding God, it is more than His beauty and majesty that demands such a response; it is Holy character, too. 

Consider why worship, praise, adoration, and complete reverence are the only appropriate response to God. He is only the Creator-God. He is only the Beginner and Sustainer of Life. He is only THE Omnipotent One. He is only the loving Father of lights from whom all blessings flow. When you consider WHO He is, it is no wonder why the scriptures express such rich truths! “Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul!” (Psalm 146:1). Or as the Living Creatures proclaim in the Vision, “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.” (Revelation 4:11). Yes, my friends, God’s very being demands a worshipful-response.

*Book: C.S. Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms