All For the Glory of God

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.  
1 Corinthians 10:31

I don’t always live up to this. Once, I made an ice cream sundae for myself at a gathering of fellow Christians. I didn’t properly assess the volume capacity of the glass dish. There were other glass dishes, but I wanted to get all the ice cream I wanted into one glass dish. Then, I added chocolate sauce on top of the bananas I had put on it. I wasn’t walking in the Spirit as I made my sundae; I was walking in the flesh.

I apologized to the people who may have seen the grotesque sight of me licking the outside of my ice cream dish. It is embarrassing to be a pig. I realize that people hear what I say as a preacher and think I must be pretty spiritual. Then they see me with a dish of ice cream, and become confused. I don’t want to be considered phony, but I assure you, I need to die daily to my selfish, foolish sin nature.

My wife wasn’t there as I served myself ice cream. I like having my wife with me. She keeps me in line in these situations. Susan would have said, “Don’t put so much in your bowl. You can have some of mine.” She wasn’t there and I wanted it all for me.

Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31

Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. Romans 12:1

We need each other for accountability, and we need to realize that the Spirit-filled life isn’t automatic. The details do matter and we need to progress in our walk.

How marvelous that God calls us to represent Him in a world filled with need. We are called to serve people who can’t pay us back. They don’t have to, because everything we have came from God anyway. Everything we are belongs to Him. This is a privilege, and we find our joy in meeting Jesus in “the least of these.” (Matthew 25:40)

So, ….

Christian, who do you think you are?
Your identity is in Christ! Take time to study the Scriptures and begin to believe what God says about your real identity. He sees His children in the context of the righteousness of Christ.

He is our righteousness and our peace. He is our sufficiency. Dearly loved child of God, learn to rest in the Father’s embrace, and be grateful that your identity is not your achievement. It is His gift of grace.

Where do you think you’re going?
Your destiny is with Christ in glory! Jesus is preparing a place for us even now. There will be no more sickness or suffering or pain. We will never be lonely or confused or fearful again. He will wipe away every tear from our eyes. The beauty and the joy of that place will exceed even our capacity to imagine.

What do you think you’re doing?
Your calling is to serve Christ in preparation for the day when we will gather at His throne. Therefore, everything you do now is eternally significant.

You may wonder why some things happen and some prayers seem to go unanswered. You may suffer repeated crushing disappointments and discouragement that test your faith. But, if you will continue in obedience, you will see in eternity that all of God’s promises are true.

Our greatest point of blessing is often tied to our greatest pain. God is not cruel, but His power is manifest most clearly in our weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:1-10)

Don’t be afraid! When the night is long and the wind blows hard against you, remember who you are. Remember where you are going. And, remember what you are doing.