So, if all I want from a god is my prayers answered, that makes me a pretty lousy worshipper.

And if I do all my good actions without giving god a thought at all, then I am certainly not considering faith in that thought process either.


I'd say it is not a good place to end up in, but it might be a great place to start.

Consider some of Jesus' appeals to people to believe. He often appealed to selfish motives (all quotes New Living Translation):

"Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest" (Mat 11:28, NLT);

"If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water" (John 4:10, NLT);

"And what about the eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem? No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too." (Luke 13:4-5, NLT)

"Salvation" is repeatedly described as a "gift" from God. Something God wants you to have. So I don't think it is wrong to want to receive a gift. Selfish? If you kept it to yourself, maybe it would be.

People came to Jesus all the time because of what they hoped he'd do for them. And he honored their faith, and accepted them where they were.

We love God, because he first loved us. That is the natural order. After we believe, receive, and live in what he has done for us, then our motives naturally change. Then a person can do things for others and for God because she appreciates whats been done for her.

-Bryan