The word "glory" has been resonating in my mind the last day or so. I didn't notice until yesterday though that God was actually telling me to pay attention. I was reading to my girls about the Incans, that's what we're learning about right now, and I was reading how they believed their king was "god" and that everything they did and everything about their life was to bring glory to their god. We talked, my girls and I, about how we are supposed to live the same way, the Bible tells us to do everything to the glory of God. The true God. It's heartbreakingly sad to read about the Incans, or as we were previously reading, about the Aztecs who were so deceived. THe Aztecs believed it was an honor to spill their blood to feed their god. They sacrificed over 50,000 people a year... isn't that just astounding? But they did it because they mistakenly believed that was the way to bring glory to their god.
So then at church yesterday morning, at the weekly prayer time, we were praying that God's glory would be seen in our lives and in our church. That's when I started to pay attention and really think through what that means. And just now, in the course of my daily reading, I read in 1 Corinthians where it says "Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God'.
So what does this mean? Obviously our God, the only real God, does not ask us to spill our own blood to bring Him glory. But He does tell us to be a living sacrifice. Am I? Um. No. I was so convicted yesterday as I was praying for God's glory to be seen that I am certainly a big hindrance to the glory of God being seen by my children. Really. I get so whiney and grumpy and mean when I'm tired and I start to think that my schedules or my life is what needs to be glorified. If I want to live my life in such a way that only the glory of God is seen, then right now, I need a big change. I'm asking God to let every word of my mouth and meditation of my heart be acceptable in His sight. That's a big thing to ask. I want to start looking at every single moment of my life as an opportunity to bring glory and praise and distinction to my God. So when I'm doing endless dishes, I can complain in my heart and be whiney about it, I can just not think anything and go through life not really engaged, just performing tasks. OR I can pray for those who used the dishes, I can have a cheerful spirit, I can teach my kids that it really is possible to give thanks in all things. I can stop trying to glorify myself and start humbling myself and seeing myself in the true Light.
Christ is all. There is nothing else. When all of my own false ambitions and desires are stripped away, all I really want is to know the only true God and adore Him. Will my life reflect that today?
