Bringing Glory to God

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"Give to the Lord the glory due to His name" (Psalm 29:2)

That phrase of one verse really spoke to me this morning when I read it. Really, the part that grabbed me is even a smaller portion: "the glory due to His name".

The circles that I operate in often talk about glorifying God. We talk about bringing glory to God in our actions and words. If we're REALLY serious, we even talk about glorifying God in our attitudes.

I once was asked by a Muslim friend to tell him my belief regarding why we exist. I told Him that we exist to bring glory to God. I meant it then and I still believe it now.

But how in the world can we possibly bring to Him the glory that He is due? The answer is that we can't; we don't have it in us. We are flawed, imperfect, inconsistent, distracted. 

So, maybe we should ask God, "What's the second best thing we could give you?"

He's not interested in our second best, so He made it possible--through His presence living through us--for us to bring Him more than what is just in us. 

"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20, English Standard Version)

We don't bring Him more glory by more effort; we bring Him more glory by more surrender to Him.

Question: How can you shift your focus from effort to surrender?

Leave a comment below.  I'd love to hear your perspective.

The Journey of Surrender

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"I have been crucified with the Anointed One—I am no longer alive—but the Anointed is living in me; and whatever life I have left in this failing body I live by the faithfulness of God’s Son, the One who loves me and gave His body on the cross for me." (Galatians 2:20, The Voice)

I have often heard Christian speakers talk about having a "life verse". I've also been a part of many discussions where people talked about having a favorite verse or passage of Scripture.

I have resisted both those concepts because God has spoken to me through so much of His word. My favorite verse is like my favorite song; it is the verse or song through which God is speaking to me at the moment.

Having said that, I acknowledge that Galatians 2:20 comes about as close as possible to being a life verse for me. It is, at the very least, one of my "anchor" verses.

It is a reminder to me that God is not nearly as interested in what I do for Him as He is interested in what He does in and through me. If I am concerned for God's glory, I can take two approaches: 

(1) I can try to be sure that whatever I do, I do my very best for Him.

(2) I can surrender to Him so fully that His life and His glory are lived out in me.

Notice that I did not say that I can take "one of two" approaches. This is not either/or; it is both/and. It is process and progress. It is a journey of surrender.

“The goal of faithfulness is not that we will do work for God, but that He will be free to do His work through us.” (Oswald Chambers - "My Utmost for His Highest”)

Question: What will you do today to take your next step on the journey of surrender?

Leave a comment below.  I'd love to hear your thoughts.