How Do We Give Glory to God?

It is such an unnatural phrase on the surface: Give Glory to God. We are not accustomed to giving glory to anyone. We naturally take the credit for ourselves. We even seek that attention and admiration. We talk about needing to feel appreciated. Humans like to receive fame and acknowledgment for what they have accomplished. Exactly who are YOU trying to please?

Many have trouble letting go of the past.

Grumbling against one another can become commonplace. And worse—grumbling against God—can rob people of the followship that God intended for them. Wishing things had been different. Thinking they deserved better than what they got. The only problem is, their PAST is sucking the life and joy out of their PRESENT. I know that I, too, have gone through seasons of wallowing in self-pity. And I can attest to the fact that it literally made me physically ill. It can even rob a person of the ability to get restful sleep. Gratitude is most definitely a more freeing and healthier option. And is most definitely how we give Glory to God.

Toby Mac quote:

The sooner you let go of what happened or what they did, the quicker you can embrace what God is doing.

I’m sure no Bible Scholar.

My favorite phrase is out of the story when the elite were trying to trip up the blind man who had received his sight after Jesus healed him. They wanted him to explain what happened. The thing is with God, and with Jesus, and with the Holy Spirit…They are beyond intellectual explanation. They just ARE! So, like the blind man, when I get stumped about something too large in Scripture for me to understand or explain, my favorite phrase is: “I don’t know. All I know is once I was blind and now I see.” That’s me. For years, I had searched and searched for what I saw that some people—including my mother–had. But it was elusive.

But when the time was right…

And when I was at the end of myself and my own attempts at problem-solving were fruitless; then suddenly, I GOT it!

I suddenly understood.

My blindness had been healed and now I see. I put my hand to the plow and have not looked back. I adore my Savior and Lord and am so very grateful for all He has helped me through.

There are no deeper meanings in what I share

My faith is simple. I have not gone to Bible college. I HAVE read through the Bible several times, devotionally, and I love to study the word. I probably frustrate scholarly students of the Bible because, all I have is a simple but experiential understanding of the Gospel. If God said it, I want to read it in context and then I want to ask Him what He wants me to do about it in my own life. (Sometimes, I have to admit, I wish I had not asked, because God always answers, and it might be uncomfortable obeying Him ) I am so grateful He has not and will never ever fail or forsake me (Hebrews 13:5b)

Whenever I speak of Him or share His Word

My hope is to make the Bible come alive in a fresh way for you, so you will want to know Jesus more deeply than you already do, as a result of our spending time together here in the Blog-isphere. The consistent message throughout the Word is: “For God so loved…that He gave…” That is His message throughout His entire “BOOK” (The Bible). And that is what He calls us to!

John 14:12

“The truth is anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works because I am going to be with the Father.”

Let’s look at that verse more personally:

1. You must believe in Jesus as the Son of God (Believing in Jesus and asking for things IN HIS NAME, means that you must believe everything about Him. That He was born of a virgin, died on a cross, was resurrected from the dead, is currently in Heaven, and that He will come again to take you back to the place He has prepared for you. Heaven is your REAL home. This is just a temporary place, to get the “bugs” worked out of us so to speak, while we wait.) You can see how much is packed into the word: B E L I E V E
2. Since Jesus is right now interceding for us in Heaven, and has sent the Holy Spirit to live permanently in you, then you can do whatever He did (works) that bring Glory to God, as Jesus did. When we ask, in His Name, then we KNOW that He answers, bringing Glory to the Father God.
3. So you see that any GOOD you do is actually the Son of God – in the form of the Holy Spirit — doing it in and through you. So, your good works are actually HIS good works through you, because He is interceding for you in Heaven with the Father; so that we cannot and should not take any credit for any of it.

John 14:13-14

You can ask for anything in my Name, and I will do it, because the work of the Son brings Glory to the Father. Yes, ask anything in My Name and I will do it!”

What does it mean that the Father is glorified?

The key / the PURPOSE / the WHY of all that we ask and all that He answers, is that the Father be Glorified. Why do we care? Because, those are the prayers that get answered.

So, to stay in the mindset of Glorifying God, we must be asking ourselves, who is the center of whatever is happening, or being said, or what we want to happen, or even in our thoughts? If it is OURSELVES, then it is most definitely NOT giving Glory to God. And so, it cannot be in Jesus’ Name.

We live in a ME-ism world.

The world centers around me. My hurts. My needs. My desires. My ideas. What *I* want. That is most definitely NOT giving Glory to God. God is not a “genie’ in a bottle. His “job” is NOT to keep me or you happy. He is not “santa claus” where you hope that you had more good things you did than bad things you did, so you can get what you asked for. Apart from Jesus, all we know how to do is sin and be self-centered.

The Sinner, apart from Grace, is unable to be willing, and unwilling to be able. — W. E. Best

If He made all things (and He did)

And if all things exist and have their being because of, by Him, and through Him (and they do), then–no matter what–the best plan of all is to CHOOSE GRATITUDE! Look for things for which you can be grateful. All day long. You might want to start a gratitude daily JOURNAL.

You will find whatever you are looking for. And you will find whatever you Crave. Crave joy and gratitude and you will find it. AND you will bring glory to God! Guaranteed!!!

How can I pray for you?

I’d love to hear from you.

Until next time,
Give Glory to God,
Awaiting His shout,


Christian Life Coach
Leading from Your Strengths Mentor
www.loavesandfishescoaching.com

Happy Father’s Day!