Glory Giving

Glory to God in the highest. Luke 2:14a

Our entrance into the world as a baby…not the most glorious, right? Naked, blood-covered, shriveled and screaming. Our departure from the world varies but most likely not glorious either. As our breath departs and our heartbeat stops, we turn odd colors and our bodies slowly become mush. I want to spare you from writing this reality and I’m assuming you have an urge to stop reading. Why? Because our sinful flesh doesn’t want to believe it to be true.

What do we want to believe instead? That on our own, we are bigger than we are. Brighter than we are. Better than we are. So in the in-between of our beginning and our ending on earth, we believe the lie which says we need to make much of ourselves. Pack as much in our life which says we are worthwhile, we are noteworthy, we are something.

We begin with longing for mommy and daddy’s praise: “You are so good at this or that!” or “Wow, way to go eating all of your dinner!” We then move to desiring our teacher’s praises: “A++++” or “You’re definitely going on to bigger and better things!” The pursuit of praise doesn’t end there. Bosses, siblings, spouses, children, friends, social media posts set in place to give us a sense that we are whole or worth something. A lifelong seeking after glory, our own glorious glory.

There’s a passage in scripture which might upset us more than that earlier depiction of a body decomposing. It’s Isaiah 42:8 and in it God says “I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other.” In light of this passage, we’re reminded that our pursuit of our seeking after glory is actually a stealing after of a glory that was, is and will never be ours. Glory only belongs to Him.

But the beauty of the Father in heaven is that He is not a glory-hoarder. He’s generous to share His glory, which belongs only to Him, with His children. To enjoy. To bask in. To savor. To cherish. So when our newborn comes into the world and breathes the breath of His Spirit-given life for the first time, we might cry out “glory be to God!” When our beloved parent breathes their last breath on earth and we entrust them into the care of the God who gives and takes away, we sob “glory be to God!” In the in-between of life, from our kids coloring beautifully chaotic pictures, to our getting a 6 or a 36 on an ACT college entrance exam, to earning a living or losing a job, marrying our best friend or living a life of singleness, we can cry out “glory be to God!” Whatever we do, eating, drinking, sleeping, waking, glory be to God! (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Lord, may you turn our lives from glory stealing to glory giving! Amen.

Thoughts for reflection:

Where in your life are you prone to want the praise or the glory?

What is a part of life where it might be difficult to say “glory be to God?”

What might saying “glory be to God” do to change your view of that situation?

Chad BaudhuinFebruary 28, 2020All Saints Church