Most believers know that our lives should give God glory. When you give God glory you are simply making God glad. We do a lot of things for reasons other than making God glad. We usually live only make ourselves happy.
Think about children for example. Selfish children who live to make themselves happy have few friends and frustrated parents. When children like to share and help out, they make joyful parents—and the children themselves are happy as well. People do many religious things without even thinking about making God glad.
Centuries ago, some religious people came to church reminding their leaders that they always fasted on a certain day each year. God spoke to them through His prophet and asked, “Did you do it for Me?—for Me?” (Zechariah 7:5).
The Lord Jesus asks us this same question today. Do we go to church for Him? or because we are expected to? We should give our tithes and offering to Him, not just to look good. Do we dress to be seen? to be popular? to show off the bling-bling? Or do we dress modestly to honor God?
When we spend money do we spend for us? Too often we spend money we do not have on things we do not need to impress people we do not like. We should handle all our money in a way to make God proud: giving to the poor, investing, saving, paying off debt, and so on.
How do you use your time? How do you treat your family? How diligent are you at your work? When you read your Bible, is it to please God, or just follow daily routine? Does your prayer life honor God? Do you worship and thank Him, or just tell Him what you want?
I get irked when I see someone come to a wedding just for the food. We throw a wedding feast to honor the bride and groom, not to stuff some person’s gut and let them take three plates home to those who did not come. God feels the same way when we look at the Bible as a self-help manual instead of as a guide book to know Him better.
“Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would… fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness,… That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you” (II Thessalonians 2:11-12)
Live for His glory; you’ll be glad you did.
Do an online, devotional journal for free on the topic of making God glad.
