What honors God

“But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God.” Psalm 50:23

This ancient Psalm shows how far back a primary confusion about the nature of God goes back. When we come to Him we sometimes consider the things we need to give up, or sacrifice, of primary importance to God. In Old Testament days we needed to sacrifice some sort of animal, and now we need to give up money, relationships, and some things we consider fun for God. God makes it clear over and over again, however, that sacrifice is not what He desires from us; it’s thanks.

Further back in this same Psalm God elaborates on why it is sacrifices don’t have as large of an impact on him as thanks. Verse 12 says:

“If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for all the world is mine and everything in it.”

God doesn’t need our stuff. It’s already His. The sacrifices we make were never because God needed it. The sacrifices have always been about our need. We need God, but we are fallen. In our fallen state we are unable to relate to our perfect God, and therefore we make sacrifices to make it possible. Unfortunately, we cannot make it possible. God had to come to us as He did with Abraham, and God had to make the sacrifice with the life of Jesus Christ so that we could be redeemed. God made the sacrifice. He was the sacrifice. We need to be thankful.

The sacrifice that truly honors the Lord is keeping to His path. Following what He’s taught us, and living according to His will is how we honor Him. We praise Him by living how He’s taught us to live. Not by giving up stuff. He doesn’t need that. It’s already His anyway. Instead we should use the things He’s blessed us with as tools to help us in our walk with Him. We can use our money as a blessing to others, our knowledge to save, and our strength to lift up those who are weak. We can shine as examples for Jesus Christ. We can be a light in dark places. We can give God the glory for everything, and in that we truly honor Him.