When you glorify God, God will glorify you
How do you make important decisions?
If you’re like me, you make a list of all the pros and cons of all the possible choices.
You go round and round trying to figure out what to do. You ask for advice from friends, family, and maybe even an advisor. But there are too many good options and there’s no way to know which one is best.
In this week’s episode, I share several experiences where I was in that exact situation. I had some life-important decisions to make. I had changed my mind at least 20 times. But I had no clarity.
I had prayed all this time but I was too close to the circumstances. In desperation, I finally prayed, “God, what will bless the most in the long run?” When I uttered those words, the answer came instantly.
When we step back from what we want and ask God to show us what will bless the most, it changes the motives of our prayers. It’s no longer about us, but about what will glorify God the most.
The best way to make important decisions
What if, in every prayer and every action, your motive was to glorify God instead of just get what you wanted or thought the solution was?
How would that make a difference in your life?
Glorify God
The wonderful thing is, when you glorify God, God will glorify you.
Jesus set the example for us. He made it clear that he was not here to glorify himself, but to glorify God.
This is not just for the big decisions in your life, but in the small, every day decisions and activities as well. The more you can glorify God in everything you do, the more you will fulfill your God-given purpose.
Last week’s episode touched on this. If you missed it, here’s the link: Episode 72: How Did Jesus Define Success?
Thanks for listening. If you have any comments of questions about today’s episode, please contact me. I’d love to hear from you.
Have a great week.
Blessings,
James
P.S. Please share this with a friend.
Bible references in this episode
Matthew 5:14, 16 ESV
14 You are the light of the world.
16 let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
John 8:54 ESV
54 Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’
John 8:50 ESV
50 I do not seek my own glory;
John 12:28, 29 ESV
28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”
29 The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.”
John 17:1-5, 18 ESV
1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you,
2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.
3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.
5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
Jeremiah 1:5 ESV
5 Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.
Genesis 1:27 ESV
27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
John 7:18 ESV
18 The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood.
Proverbs 25:27 ESV
27 It is not good to eat much honey,
nor is it glorious to seek one’s own glory.
I Kings 3:5-14 ESV
5 At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.”
6 And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day.
7 And now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in.
8 And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude.
9 Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”
10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.
11 And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right,
12 behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you.
13 I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days.
14 And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.”
Luke 18:41-43 ESV
41 “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.”
42 And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.”
43 And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.
Psalm 86:2 ESV
2 I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,
and I will glorify your name forever.
