HOW CAN I GLORIFY GOD- IS IT POSSIBLE FOR ME?
“Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to Your Name be the glory, because of Your love and faithfulness.”- {Psalm 115:1}
If you were asked “How Do I glorify God?” How would you answer the person? The phrase can often be heard around churches, Bible studies, and Christians. Often some of us may use it and not know what it means or how or why Glorify Him. What does it look like on a daily level, be at home, a nursing home, school, a factory, work, playing field, raising kids, taking care of the elderly – what does it mean to get beyond the “Phrase” to actually KNOW HOW and that YES you can Glorify God and indeed teach, inform others also -HOW TO and WHY! Below is I hope some thoughts to encourage you How and Why you can glorify God and also to answer the question should you be asked, “HOW DO I GLORIFY GOD?”
IT BEGINS WITH UNDERSTANDING
WE were created for His GLORY- Ish 43:7;We were purchased with His Blood/Redeemed with a purpose- 1 Cor 6:19-20;We are to live with purpose – to GLORIFY God- 1 Cor 10:31
GLORIFYING GOD IS PRACTICAL-
What Glorifies God and can YOU and I? Sure you can if you have been born again, you have everything pertaining to life and Godliness, for God is at work in you both to give you the DESIRE and the DOING of those things for His Pleasure. And His Pleasure is you and me know How and Do Glorify Him. Each of the verses below, show PRACTICALLY HOW. Each verse, passage will have the word, “Glory” or “Glorify” in it. Scripture reveals the things God says, Glorifies Him. “To give the correct opinion, estimation, value of Him.” To Honor Him, through obedient faith, as an expression of love to Him. To give Him the praises ,due to Him. You can participate and GLORIFY GOD and irrespective how you “feel,” put your head on your pillow at night and know you have opportunity daily to Glorify Him. Consider some ways which you can and t…. be encouraged. Look at some ways the Bible teaches we can Know and Glorify Him.
1. – Confession of sin –Josh 7:19
“And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me.”-
2. – Confess Jesus is LORD- Phil 2:11
“and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
3. – Growing in faith/ dependence upon the LORD- Rom 4:19-20
“Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; 20 yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, “
4. – God centered prayer and fruitful living- John 15:7 –
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love”.
5. – Thanksgiving- Luke 17:18,2 Cor 9:12-13
“and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine—where are they?]Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?”
6. – Sexual Purity- 1 Cor 6:20
“Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.”
7. – Giving – 2 Cor 9:13, Rom 12:8,10
“For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God. 13 Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all,…”
8. – Serving others- 1 Pet 4:10,11
“As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
9. – Suffering for God’s sake – 1 Peter 4:16,19
“ but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name. For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? AND IF IT IS WITH DIFFICULTY THAT THE RIGHTEOUS IS SAVED, WHAT WILL BECOME OF THE GODLESS MAN AND THE SINNER? Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.”
10. – Submission/Obedience
“Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name.” -John 12:27-28
11. – Death- John 21:18 -19
“Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go.” Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He *said to him, “Follow Me!”
CH SPURGEON- “If there is anything you seek with greater fervor than the Glory of God it is your idol”
Idolatry is a choice, placing something or someone above God. Displacing God. Usually it is with… our self! But as much as Idolatry is a choice so too is to live, think, act to GLORIFY GOD. It is always a heart issue, isn’t it. And the One we live for is the one we choose ultimately to EXALT, MAKE MUCH OF,SPREAD HIS FAME, GLORIFY. Remember Jesus Christ- He is Worthy of our lives. We were CREATED with Purpose; We were REDEEMED with His Blood for His purpose. We are to live, even doing the most mundane thing like eating and drinking with Purpose. and that Purpose? To do it all for the GLORY OF GOD.- 1 Cor 10:31
Make the choice today to think on Him, talk to Him, Evaluate your thinking, and choices and choose Him in whom all Heaven falls before- an act of submission and who give Him glory! Only submissive hearts glorify Him. For only the submissive heart values Him. We are often tempted to TOUCH HIS GLORY, TAKE HIS GLORY when we need to WORSHIP Him for His Glory and TO TELL OF HIS GLORY…
WHAT ARE TWO MOTIVATIONS FOR GLORIFYING GOD? Psalm 145:14 teaches, “Because of …”
- – HIS UNFAILING LOVE
- – HIS FAITHFULNESS
Why Do People Not Glorify God?
They refuse to repent! “They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify Him.“- {REV 16:9}…. Jesus when resurrected told His He said “repent or you will perish!”…disciples to go preach repentance for the forgiveness of sins, John the baptist preached it , Peter preached “repentance for the forgiveness of sins and the Gift of the Holy Spirit..”.did also and Paul preached “REPENTANCE TOWARDS GOD AND FAITH IN OUR LORD JESUS”
THIS IS A GREAT VERSE TO MEMORIZE;
If you were asked the question, “How can I glorify God?” Hopefully you now have some practical verses to show how and why. This would be a profitable verse for you to memorize so the Holy Spirit can remind you if per chance you are losing focus and need to be encouraged or to encouraged others to apply, is – “Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to Your Name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.”- Psalm 115:1
APPLICATION;
- MEMORIZE,MEDITATEON HOW TO GLORIFY GOD AND WHY FROM PSALM 115:1. WRITE the verse out on a 3 by 5 card… take with you and read when you can. Place on a bathroom mirror or by a kitchen sink-Somewhere where you will see it. THINK on it word by word,
2. PRAISE HIM– In your raying praise Him that he is worthy of Glory and Praise Him for His Unfailing Love and His faithfulness and in doing so you have GLORIFIED HIM. How wonderful is that, acknowledging His unfailing love and faithfulness . Specifically ask Him to help you recall areas when he has demonstrated these truths to you or others and PRAISE Him for them.
3. SHARE THIS VERSE– PSALM 115:1 with someone this week. Encourage them to Give God the glory, don’t take, touch but Tell of His glory and give them two ways to Glorify Him by acknowledging His unfailing love and faithfulness to them and others….PASS IT ON
4. PRACTICE GLORIFYING GOD-in the circumstances you find yourself in