All For Glory

All for Glory

Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:31

IN WORD God doesn’t give us any impossible commands. That would be cruel. He may give us commands that require us to depend on His Spirit to fulfill them, but they aren’t impossible. A wise and loving God would hold no one accountable for completely unavoidable transgressions.

So it follows that if God tells us to do everything for His glory, it must also be true that anything we do—if done in the right way, for the right reasons—can glorify Him. That applies even to eating and drinking, as in this passage. In other words, anything can become an act of worship.

In theory, we have no trouble believing that, but in practice it’s hard to grasp. For example, how does it glorify God for someone to keep doing the same menial task in a dead-end job? How can we go shopping to the glory of God or study history to the glory of God? How do we eat for His glory or dress for His glory? Is glorifying God just for ministers and missionaries, or can the daily grind of average people be honoring to Him?

Intellectually, we know the answer. If the Bible tells us that anything we do can be an act of worship, then we can approach anything with that attitude. The same menial task may demonstrate to others that we have an otherworldly source of fulfillment. The stewardship of shopping and the dignity of dressing may demonstrate otherworldly values. Our studies, our habits, our interests, and our relationships are all able to reflect some aspect of His character. And reflecting Him is critical; making the invisible God visible in this world is what glorifying Him is all about.

IN DEED The most important question to ask yourself in any decision, no matter how small, is whether it will reflect God’s glory or deflect it. Is your lifestyle a distraction that obscures a clear view of Him? Then take Paul’s words to heart. Learn to live them. Remind yourself of them daily until they become part of the fabric of your life. Whatever you do, do it for His glory.

A concern for the glory of God is the ultimate motive for Christian living.

—ANONYMOUS