To God be the Glory
By Brita Crouse
“So whether you eat
or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."
1
Corinthians 10:31 (NIV)
Did
you know that Puffer Fish can inflate to several times their normal size? They
ingest large amounts of water to make themselves bigger than they regularly
are. The reason they do this is to ward off predators. They may be afraid of
being eaten or attacked, so “puffing up” protects them from any threats.
There
are many days where I feel very similar to a Puffer Fish, but instead of
ingesting water, I ingest pride. My fears cause me to “puff up” so I can keep
any threats at bay. I catch myself with this inflated pride when I am feeling
insecure about my abilities or stressed out about my current situation. Instead
of trusting God completely, I use my own defense - - my inflatable pride - - to
make others believe I am better than I really am.
The
truth is: I am no better than anyone else. What would make me so special or
important to be favored over another?
In
his book Crazy Love, Francis Chan
says this about our verse for today: “Frankly, you need to get over yourself.
It might sound harsh, but that’s seriously what it means.” (1) This was the
swift kick-in-the-pants that I needed. It is harsh to hear that, but it’s true.
In the grand scheme of things, our lives are only a vapor and it is what we do
with that time that matters.
Do
we glorify God by trusting in our own strength? Do we glorify Him when we put
ourselves before others? Is it glorifying to God to put others down to puff
ourselves up? The answer to all of these questions should be a resounding,
“NO!” Yet, we still find ourselves doing these things.
Instead
of focusing so much time on ourselves, what if we focused on others? What if we
viewed people, tolerable or intolerable, as if they were Christ Himself? Our
attitudes would be completely different! Plus, our actions, and the motives
behind those actions, would be glorifying to God.
God
created everyone. Not just you. Not just me. Everyone. And He loves His
creation. Instead of focusing so much on ourselves, trying to puff up our egos,
let’s love others as if they were Christ. In doing this, we will bring Him
glory and honor.
GOING
DEEPER:
1.
What person, or group of people, should you be more loving to this week?
2. Listen to “In The End” by JJ Heller. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-w4KLSEJUs)
Make a conscious effort this week to act in ways that will glorify God.
FURTHER
READING:
(1)
Francis Chan, “Crazy Love.” Pg. 44, David C. Cook, © 2008
Brita recently
graduated from Taylor University with a degree in Psychology, has been
attending Oakwood for sixteen years, and is currently a helper for Oakwood’s
Quest 56.
