Glory

I often hear Christians referring to “giving God the glory” or “doing something for God’s glory.”  What do they mean?  The “glory” of God, according to Scripture, is the light that emanates from God due to His presence.  It is not something I can create, or something that I can add to or give to God.  God’s glory comes from God; it does not come from me.  Simply put, God’s glory is being with Him and Him being with us.  Yet, the above statements seem to indicate glory means some kind of credit.  According to the original meaning of God’s glory, this is a false interpretation. 

As a result of this false interpretation, we view our interactions with God as a kind of economy, more of a business partnership than a love-based relationship.  Quid pro quo – You do for me and I praise You.  I do for You and You reward me.   I act as if I am supposed to give God “credit” for the successes in my life, but of course I view the failures as “my fault.”  This kind of economically-based interaction leaves us feeling obligated more than in love with God.  It distances us from God, because we feel like something is “owed” or “due” to Him or from Him for us.  Finally, it sets us up into a hierarchical view of relationship with God, who chose to be our servant out of love, as it states in Philippians 2:5-7 - ⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: ⁶ Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; ⁷ rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

We lose that perspective very quickly in an exchange system.  It is not based on love.

Instead, God desires to be with us, and He desires for us to be with Him.  Being together simply for the sake of being together – for the pure joy of sharing each other’s presence – is love.  Whatever the circumstances, He is with us – in the successes and in the failures; in the good things and in the hard things; through the struggles and through the joys.  THIS is God’s glory.  As Philippians 4:12-13 states:  ¹² I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ¹³ I can do all this through him who gives me strength.