Skip to main content

Glory


through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:2)

          The question of God’s glory has been creeping around the edges of my mind for a few days. What is it? What does it look like? Sometimes, we seem to think that His glory is light so bright that we can’t even look at it. I’m not saying that’s wrong, but if God’s glory is a bright light, how do we glorify God? Do we add to the light? How could we? Do we point to the light?

          The next round of answers is that we glorify God by praising Him for who He is and thanking Him for what He has done. We point to His glory. We advertise Him for being who He is and doing what He does. In other words, we glorify God for being God. If God were to try to be someone or something other than God, He would glorify that person or thing. If we try to insist that God be someone or something other than what He is and does, we glorify the other and reject God’s glory.

          Bringing it down to our level, when we are who we were created to be, and do what we were created to do, in a sense, we can rightly glory. But we don’t tend to do that. Instead of celebrating, “I am God’s creation,” we look at someone, or something else (even God) and grumble, “Why can’t I be like _____?” We want their glory, even if the only way it fits is strapped on over one knee or falls off because it’s ten sizes too big. Either way, we end up naked, glory-less.

          What would it be like to be content to be who we are, to be content to give God glory and not worry about our own? I can think of several words to describe it: scary, humbling, and freeing. Maybe even glorious.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Think About These Things

                 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:8) This passage is a major challenge for me. Like everyone else, I struggle to keep my thoughts from wandering off into the weeds, then wondering what possible benefits those weeds might have… Sigh. But as a writer, I have to delve at least a little into the ignoble, wrong, impure, unlovely, and debased. After all, there’s no story if everything’s just as it should be and everyone’s happy. As Christians, there are times when we need to deal with all the negatives, but that makes it even more important that we practice turning our minds by force of attention to what is noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. It’s just too easy to get stuck in a swamp. With my...
1 comment
Read more

Higher Thoughts

  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the  Lord . “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)           The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments,   for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord      so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (I Corinthians 2:15-16) If you read about the ancient gods of the various peoples, you’ll find that they think just like people. In fact, they think just like the sort of people we really wouldn’t want to be around. They think like the most corrupt Hollywood producer or, like hormone overloaded teens with no upbringing.   It’s embarrassing to read. I have a friend who argues that because God is not just like us, He is so vastly dif...
2 comments
Read more

Pure...

            The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. (I Timothy 1:5)   I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. (Revelation 3:15-16) I’m probably cheating - or mishandling the Bible, but earlier I was thinking about love being pure and purifying. And hatred being pure and purifying. And anger…joy…patience… fear… jealousy… courage…lust… and other strongly felt feelings, attitudes, and beliefs. Today’s verse brings purity and love together, so it’s the verse of the day, but it’s not really the focus. That means my motive for sharing it with you probably isn’t pure. As you read through my list, you   probably thought, “Yeah” about some, and “What’s she on?” about others. But consider how much hatred, a...
Post a Comment
Read more