As we come to the end of another year here on earth, I am reminded that our chief end in life is to glorify God. Nothing more, nothing less. We spend a lot of time, years, in fact, striving for all manner of things … recognition, fame fortune, leisure activities, and the list could go on and on. While none of these things are inherently bad, we must spend time reflecting on how all the striving in our lives brings glory to God.
Psalm 34:3 says, “O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name.” Thirteen powerful words, some of which have gone out of vogue in our day. But I think we should bring them back into our vernacular. Magnify means to make something appear larger than it is; extol; glorify. God must appear larger than we are in our own lives. We must, as John told us in his gospel, become lesser so that Jesus may become greater. That concept is totally countercultural in the world in which we live. To exalt means to hold something or someone in very high regard; think or speak very highly of; or raise to a higher rank or a position of greater power. Take a reflective look at your past year. Has your life magnified God? Have you raised Christ to a higher position of power in your life? I think those questions can be convicting for all of us.
Psalm 86:12 says, “I will give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and will glorify your name forever.” As we close out this year, what are you most thankful for? Have you ever stopped to thank God for the many blessings he has given you this past year? This year, I started a habit that has changed my outlook on life. Each night, when I lay my head on the pillow, before I sleep I spend intentional time thanking God for his presence in my day. I thank him for the blessings, and I thank him for his presence in the struggles of the day. I ask him to make me better tomorrow…to help me bring him glory in all I do. It’s absolutely amazing how my next day changes because I sleep with my mind on Christ and his love for me.
1 Corinthians 10:31 reminds us, “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Our lives must be a testament to those around us of the power and love of God. We are called to be light in the darkness. It is evident that we are living in a time of darkness. Not convinced of that? Just turn on the news, or a game show, or a reality show, and you will see the presence of the evil one running rampant in this world. But we have the answer to the world’s problems. The question is, do we bring glory to God in everything we do? I don’t know about you, but I have some shoring up to take care of in my life.
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 gives us a mandate: “To this end we also pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” We must keep in mind that we cannot bring about any manner of glorifying God in our own power. We must be dependent upon the Holy Spirit and his work in our lives to bring glory to the Father. And that is only possible through the grace of God. Too often, we try to make things happen on our own, only to fail miserably, and then wonder what went wrong. We must learn to experience the presence of God in an intimate way. We must learn to rely on the Holy Spirit to give us the wisdom and power necessary to carry out his will. God never intended for us to do life on our own. He promised to be with us always as we walk out his mandate to make disciples. Our responsibility is to be obedient…to lean into God…to pray and involve Jesus in our decisions…to give the Holy Spirit a visible place in our lives. A tall order, but we are not alone.
We must remember that God meant for us to live in community. He intended for us to love one another. He mandated obedience to the commands of Christ. He left us here to bring him glory, that the world may know Him. As we finish out this year, take some time to reflect on your life in the past year. Where have you lived in the center of God’s will for your life? Where have you brought him glory? Where have you missed the mark? I walk through this exercise every year. I ask God to show me where he would like to work in my life in the coming year. He usually gives me a word or phrase that will help me stay grounded and remember what we decided in these moments. I spend some time writing down the big rocks, and the small ways, where I have seen God at work in my life. I often go back throughout the coming year and draw encouragement from these places. Don’t let the new year begin without some moments of reflection. Think about how your discipleship has brought glory to God, in your life, and in the lives of those to whom you have ministered.
I close with Hebrews 13:20-21.
“Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
This post originally appeared at: Glorifying God — The Bonhoeffer Project