Key Scripture(s): Exodus 20:4-6; Psalm 16; Matthew 10:37-39, 19:29-30.
17th century Christian leaders defined the purpose of a human being in this way: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.” We will use this purpose statement as the guiding principle for this book. Any treatment of the subject of faith should always begin here: The point of every worthwhile human hope, dream, and ambition is the glory of God. When the Bible talks about glorifying God, it means we are to “weigh him heavily” (Hebrew kavod). To weigh something heavily is to take it seriously—to make it a “big deal.” The opposite of glorifying God is taking him lightly, making little of him instead of making much of him. So the initial and foundational focus of The Gospel-Driven Life is recognizing what it actually means to give glory to God. While all people of faith will agree that it is good to “glorify God,” most of us would be helped by a clear picture of what this actually means. God is glorified in the human life on three key levels—mental, emotional, and volitional.
Mentally, God is glorified when we regard him as supreme
No thing, no person, no idea, no created thing is able to compare to God in his excellence (Exodus 20:3, Matthew 22:37-38). Because he is God, he is the measure of all things—the best and greatest of all beings in the universe. He is above all other “gods” (1 Chronicles 16:25). He is the Source and Creator of everything (Psalm 104:24). Therefore, any of us who is wise, powerful, holy, just, good, faithful, etc. derives these attributes from God, yet our wisdom, holiness, justice, goodness, faithfulness, etc. will always pale in comparison to his.
God is supreme by all comparisons. Compared to God, the most beautiful sunset appears ugly, the most orderly home appears messy, the strongest athlete appears weak, the wisest sage appears ignorant, the most interesting teacher appears dull, the most courageous hero appears a coward, the most feminine woman appears masculine, the most masculine man appears feminine. Nothing, and no one, deserves the respect, attention, and honor that God does—he is the supreme and unrivaled measure of all beauty, excellence and worth. Just as the moon shines a light that is derived from another source (the sun), anything and anyone that is desirable, lovely and good derives all desirability, loveliness, and goodness from its/his/her source (God).
Emotionally, God is glorified when we gain our chief pleasure in and from him
The fact that God is the supreme, ultimate, glorious Being means that God will satisfy us more than anything else has the ability to satisfy. When good things happen to us, these good things are wonderful, but in the grand scheme they are merely appetizers that give us a taste of the ultimate feast of God himself: The best food reminds us that he God our supreme fill, the best sex reminds us that God is the supreme lover, the best victory reminds us that God is the conquering king, the best accomplishment reminds us that God does all things with perfection. Likewise, when bad things happen, the disappointment only fuels our longings for God, who pledges to fill the voids that are left in our hearts by disappointment, failure, and weakness (2 Corinthians 12:7-10), and who pledges to relieve the pain of our losses once and for all and for eternity (Revelation 21:1-5). Glorifying God, therefore, means that we find joy in his presence (1 Chronicles 16:27), in his creation (Psalm 19:1, 104:34), in his promises (Romans 8:18-25) and ultimately in the sheer beauty of who he is (Psalm 27:4). We enjoy God when we come to see and are captured by how beautiful he is. To find God beautiful is to find God satisfying in himself rather than in what he can give to us and how we can use him as a means to some other end. As Saint Augustine once wisely prayed, “You have made us for Thyself, O God. Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee.” Pastor and Theologian John Piper in similar fashion writes about how we are all “starved for the glory of God:”
We are starved for the glory of God, not self. No one goes to the Grand Canyon to increase self-esteem. Why do we go? Because there is greater healing for the soul in beholding splendor than there is in beholding self…The point is this: We were made to know and treasure the glory of God above all things; and when we trade that treasure for images, everything is disordered. The sun of God’s glory was made to shine at the center of the solar system of our soul. And when it does, all the planets of our life are held in their proper orbit. But when the sun is displaced, everything flies apart. The healing of the soul begins by restoring the glory of God to its flaming, all-attracting place at the center.
When we gaze in wonder at the ocean, the mountains, a beautiful woman, handsome man, or a brilliant painting (or listen to an amazing piece of music) we don’t do so in order to reach some other goal. The very sight or sound of beauty is fulfilling and life-giving in itself. So it is with our pursuit of God when we see his beauty for what it is.
Volitionally, God is glorified when we give our whole selves to him
To glorify God is to give him ultimate centrality and priority in our lives (Exodus 20:4-6). In other words, glorifying God makes him the sole basis for our decisions in all areas of life. It is to make him our most important thing, the non-negotiable in life around which all decisions are made, all goals are established, and all ambitions are centered. It means we trust him more than anything else and we obey him without caveats or conditions (John 14:21). Everything in our lives is judged by whether it enhances (or detracts from) his centrality in our lives. All of life—relationships, work, play, rest—is put under his Lordship.
We will always give our lives effortlessly to the things that we “glorify.” We will worship and serve, we will give our lives to, the things that we believe in our heart of hearts will bring our lives the most meaning. Look at your checkbook and your schedule and consider the short list of things in your life where spending money and time comes naturally. Those are the things that are most “glorious” (central) to your life and heart. When God is regarded as glorious, we will give ourselves gladly and effortlessly to him in every way (our time, abilities, resources, etc.).
Glorifying God means that we pursue a relationship with him not to use him but to enjoy him. The person who glorifies God does not seek him for ulterior purposes such as career success, good health, prosperity, romance, guidance, strength, etc. While some of these things may be given to us as gifts to be enjoyed, the heart that glorifies God is the heart that seeks him out mainly to get him. This happens when the Holy Spirit gives you a sense of God’s beauty—when thinking about who he is and what he has done (the major subject of the next several lessons!) becomes pleasing to your mind, motivating to your will, and satisfying to your heart, in itself. Rather than God becoming a means to some other end, other things become means to the end of glorifying and enjoying God. In other words, we don’t obey God mainly to get health, peace, comfort, success, etc., but to give him pleasure and honor. Making him the supreme love of our lives is what will give us true and lasting joy.
2 comments:
Scott, I'm not sure who you are but I do appreciate you posting this devotional. It was very convicting for me. My perspective of God becomes clearer when I do yield to him for who He is not what he can do for me. I relate to this as a Father to my children. I want them to obey not because of fearing punishment or my disfavor but they would want to talk with me because they I'm their dad.
"We were made to know and treasure the glory of God above all things." I have quoted it too many times probably, but here we go again and purpose driven starys with "It is not about you!" Rick Warren's position and mine is that we were nmade to worship God. Also, I think a few things are missing here as well though like a healthy fear and obedience! I think TRM hit upon the same thoughts.
cas
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