God is passionate for His glory.
Scripture tells us that He is zealous for his holy name. (Ezk 39:25)
I have a confession.
This used to make me a little uncomfortable.
Because when it comes to us, seeking our own glory, being intensely interested in our own fame and honor, is…well…off-putting. We usually call these people egomaniacs or narcissists.
I was using the motivations of the human heart to understand God and it wasn’t working.
But then, one Sunday morning, our worship arts pastor said something that stuck.
God’s glory is our good.
I’m pretty sure I spent the rest of the sermon pondering that truth. Rolling is around in my mind and in my heart.
God is jealous for His glory because His glory is good.
His glory fills us with awe and wonder.
His glory leads us to repentance and faith.
He deserves all praise and all honor. And in the act of giving Him what’s due His name, we are brought to life.
Because the zeal He has for His glory goes hand in hand with the passionate consuming love He has for us.
Let’s Talk: Have you had any epiphanies lately? Has anyone said anything that struck you as profound and filled with truth? If so, please share!
On Friday, I’m announcing something I’ve been super excited about. It’s one of those things that could be really GREAT or it could flop. Won’t know until I try! Make sure to tune in for the announcement!
In a recent study i read 2 tim 4:7-8 about fighting the good fight. I was struck by how often we pick the meaningless, silly things to get riled up about when the only fight worth getting involved in is one that will bring God glory. The beautiful fight is the one in which we use weapons designed by God to disarm the enemy – things like kindness, gentleness, love, etc. Really made me examine the battles that come my way and how i will choose to face them.
A big revelation in my life came about a month ago when I heard someone preaching on the first conversation Eve had with Satan.
God had commanded Adam: “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” (Gen. 2:16-17) But when Satan approached Eve he mis-quoted God and said: “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1b)and Eve made the biggest mistake of all creation – she began to debate and reason with Satan’s lies, eventually talking herself into eating from the ONE tree that God had commanded them not to eat from.
As a believer who has been commanded by God, we often start debating with the lies Satan whispers to us, and when we start to debate and to reason we are walking on unstable ground, often leading us to sin. When Satan first starts the conversation with a lie (God had abandoned you, you’re not good enough, you don’t have what it takes, etc.)we need to immediately tell him to shut up!
Jesus encountered this same situation in the desert when he fasted for 40 days and 40 nights, but he showed us how to handle it. Satan came to tempt Jesus and began the conversations mis-quoting the Word of God, but Jesus didn’t debate, instead he SPOKE the truth back to the devil and Satan had to flee! This is an amazing revelation for me. Don’t debate, just speak the Turth!
Gabrielle – how much power are in these words?? The Word of God is the sword of the spirit – the only offensive weapon God gives us in the armor of God. It is the only weapon we need to battle evil and the Prince of Lies.
I strongly recommend reading this post by Jessica Patch. She posted it yesterday and it’s very similar to your comment here. So powerful! http://jessicarpatch.blogspot.com/2012/03/take-stab-but-wear-helmet.html
This stuck with me.
During service, a child asked why God allows such tragedy (earthquakes, tsunamis, etc…) I never voiced out that question cos I feel like it’s questioning His power and will. Then our pastor replied, God allowed it for the greater good. The worst He has allowed was having a blameless, innocent, pure Jesus dying on the cross, for the greater good, for us, sinners. From that day on, I’ve always kept that in my heart. God loves us so much, all is done for our goodness, because He is good and faithful.
Thank you for this blog. (:
And I got goosebumps as well for the ‘we are His joy’ comment. That is another epiphany, right there, for me. (:
That was supposed to be beautiful BLOG. I wasn’t wearing my glasses, LOL.
I like bog better. 🙂
Recently, I was thinking about the notion of “bearing fruit.” What is fruit and why do we want more? well, the obvious reason is our fruit is providing something useful (instead of just decorative). But then I realized, what is the entire point of fruit? From a biological perspective? Fruit is how more trees are made so they can grow and THEY can make fruit.
I feel this is why He has blessed WANA so much. When I stopped seeking my own glory and started serving….really serving, I started bearing fruit. But that fruit–WANA–left seeds and now we have you guys growing up and now YOU are bearing more fruit. We have more and more writers approaching social media with a spirit of love and service every day.
Beautiful bog, thanks!
I totally agree, Kristen! Your whole method/approach to social media/marketing was probably one of the biggest breaths of fresh air I’ve ever had. It took all the yucky pressure off and make it about connection and reaching out and blessing others. I LOVE that! It’s about community not competition!!
So much inspiration here today, in the post and in the comments. Thanks everyone.
These comments are a goldmine, aren’t they? I love my blog readers!
I love Jessica’s revelation.
Wow. This was worth getting out of bed for!
I got one while sharing a message about grace with a ladies group last night: We need to show the same kind of grace to ourselves when we fail that we want others to show to us. We need to look in the mirror and say, “I forgive you for not being perfect.” The last chapter on our lives has not yet been written.
You inspire me, Katie!
I love this one, Jeanette, because I often have a hard time extending grace to myself. I give it to others, no problem. But for some reason, I’m hard on myself when I fail.
This gave me goose bumps, Katie!! God’s glory shines, indeed – at the angel’s announcement of the coming Messiah, from the burning bush to a confused Moses, and between the cheribum’s wings on the Ark’s mercy seat. And in our hearts. If we let Him.
My epiphany happened last week when I skimmed through the 10 plagues of Egypt and stopped dead on the last word of the 9th plague (darkness over the land). It says that the “darkess could be FELT.” That dinged me between the eyes because darkness isn’t a person or object. It’s a place. It’s a feeling. I actually blogged about it! Hugs.
Now I must go read your blog…
Sorry for the confusion everyone! I will be a guest on Coffee Time Romance on MAY 28th, not March! My bad!
Yes! Isn’t God amazing?! Love Him!
On Sunday our pastor talked about the lies that Satan tells us, and I’ve been so conscious this week not to believe his deceptions. Satan uses our most vulnerable places. For me, it’s fear and self-doubt. This week, I’ve been rejecting Satan’s lies and embracing God’s truths over my life.
This is why I loved Jessica Patch’s blog post so much today, Julie! It was such a vivid picture of using God’s word – the sword of the spirit – to fight Satan’s lies.
“I was using the motivations of the human heart to understand God and it wasn’t working.”
Yes, I do this ALL the time! I’ll find myself questioning God, just totally not understanding…and then it’s like, doh, He’s God! He doesn’t think like we do. His logic is so far above ours. If all His ways made sense to me, I’d be God, too, and that would be chaos. 🙂
My latest epiphany…it’s impossible to relax without total dependency on God. Read that in a book last week and was floored. Because I have had trouble relaxing lately…lots of guilt…and I’m realizing it’s because I’m trying to take control of everything in my life…and it just plain doesn’t work.
I remember reading a line in Donald Miller’s Blue Like Jazz that said our inability to understand or wrap our mind around God shouldn’t lead us to doubt, it should lead us to worship. It should leave us in awe.
Because you are so right Melissa, if we could fully understand God and his mind….then He wouldn’t be a very big God, would He?
Yes! This used to confuse me too. But God knows that worshiping Him is the only thing that will truly fulfill us…and He wants the very best for us. Hard to reconcile at first, but definitely an eye opener when we do.
God is showing me that He doesn’t always speak to me in the same way. He has many names, many aspects to Him–but He’s still the same God.
I have a journal that has the different names of God. I absolutely love it!!
Lately, I’ve been loving Yahweh Nissi – The Lord is my Banner. I want Him to be a bold banner in my life.
Very well put. Yes, the Lord has shown me something in His word this week in John 15.
I have read that passage so many times, but this time He revealed more about who He is and who I am when I abide in Him.
I bear more fruit.
Amen!
Thanks Katie!
Don’t you love how living and active the Word of God is?? I can read the same passage of scripture 20 different times and get something new or different out of it. Because it speaks it speaks to where we are in our lives at the time.
Beautiful, Katie. It’s so easy to forget that God DOES have passionate love for us–He delights in us. Thanks for the reminder!
No prob, Bob. 😉
One of my biggest epiphanies comes from Hebrews. I’d read it a million times and then one day, it just struck me.
“For the joy that was set before him, Jesus endured the cross…”
And I realized, I’M the joy. YOU’RE the joy.
It’s us! People. We are JOY to God.
It was a wonderful revelation and I still cling to it. 🙂 Yes, God does things for His glory, definitely. But he also does things for joy. We’re created in His image and these feelings we feel, I kind of think He feels them a million times more intensely. I like being his joy and being his glory.
Now I’m just looking forward to when I won’t have to deal with my own sin anymore. LOL That will be a nice relief. Heh.
Great post, girl!
Oh my goodness, Jessica, your comment just gave me goosebumps! It’s something I’ve known, but haven’t really pondered before. We are the joy! How mind-blowing is that??
Thanks for sharing that with me this morning, girl! So uplifting.
Thank you for this. (: It brings me so much joy to be His joy. (:
Ding Ding Ding. This. Now I’m going to be turning it over all day. And of course it won’t surprise you that God and I have been tossing this one back and forth for a while. His jealousy. His love. His lead for my life. I tend to be a take the reins and run type of gal. He’s helping me learn to follow him and him alone.
Thanks for thoughts! I love my thinking friends!
~ Wendy
You’re not alone, Wendy. I tend to take the reigns too.