Visiting a new church on a road trip with my friend is always a great experience. She has such a heart for worship, that, no matter where she is, when Sunday arrives, she will find a church where she can praise and worship God. This particular Sunday was special because we were visiting her college son, and he agreed to go to church with us (always an answered prayer!) We were so deeply hoping (praying!) that the pastor would deliver a message that would “grab” her son, or, at least, pique his interest. The message was taken from John 17, Jesus’ beautiful and powerful prayer just before He was betrayed by Judas. The pastor was faithful to the word, and spoke fervently about our calling to “give God glory.” But I wondered, as I glanced occasionally at her son, if he was relating to this message in any way. Even as a long-time believer, I wondered if I really “got it.” After all, what does it really mean to “give God glory”? How can we give glory to the All-glorious God?
One night years ago, when I was a college student, I was walking alone back to my dorm on a brilliant moonlit night. Gazing up at that full moon, it suddenly occurred to me how amazing it is that the moon has no light of its own…how is it that it can light up nighttime almost like the day?! The moon is nothing but a ball of dust, covered with craters….not impressive at all when you see it up close through a telescope. But when it reflects the light of the sun, it is beautiful and serves a beautiful purpose! I thought about Romans 1:20, “for since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made…” I am certain, that if God gives us eyes to see, we can understand so much about Him….so much about spiritual concepts and about His plan for us…by observing what He has made! I believe that giving God glory is simply being like the moon….reflecting Him!
Jesus said that to see Him was to see the Father, because the Father, living in Him, was doing His work (John 14:9-10). He was a reflection of His father, and that gave God glory! For anyone to see Jesus in us, Jesus must be living in us, doing His work. So what is His work? When Jesus was on this earth, He spent His time healing the sick, relieving suffering, giving comfort, and teaching “the good news of the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 4:23-24, Mark 1:14-15). The good news is that His kingdom is coming to this earth! That is why He is coming back (Acts 1:11). “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him…” (Matt. 25:31). Zech 14:4-9 describes the literal return of Christ, and a time when “He will be king over the whole earth.” Acts 3:21 speaks of a time when God is going to “restore everything.” We are called “Christ’s ambassadors" (II. Cor. 5:20), His representatives in a world that does not yet know Him. As His ambassadors, we should be doing His work of relieving suffering, restoring, rebuilding, and taking care of the earth (Gen. 2:15) and, as God gives opportunity, sharing the “good news of the kingdom.” And what good news it is!! “They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11: 9). “Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end” (Isaiah 9:7). “He will judge between many peoples and settle disputes for strong nations….they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks” (Micah 4:3). “Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever” (Daniel 12: 3). That’s another way of saying we’ll be reflecting God’s glory!
I love spending time with our grandchildren. What special times, just sitting back and watching them play, and trying to discern who they look most like at that moment, their mom or their dad. But, at any time, there is no mistaking whose child they are. May we reflect God’s image, giving Him glory, so that there’ll be no mistaking whose child we are! That, to me, is what giving God glory is all about.