“Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would… fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness,… That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you” (II Thessalonians 2:11-12)
Most believers know that our lives should give God glory. When you give God glory you are simply making God glad. We do a lot of things for reasons other than making God glad. We usually live only make ourselves happy. Think about children for example. Children who live to make themselves happy have few friends and frustrated parents. When children like to share and help out, they make joyful parents—and the children themselves are happy as well.
People do many religious things without even thinking about making God glad. For example, some religious people came to church reminding their leaders that they always fasted on a certain day each year. God spoke to them through the prophet and asked, “Did you do it for Me?—for Me?” (Zechariah 7:5).
The Lord Jesus asks us this same question today. Do we go to church for Him? or because we are expected to? We should give our tithes and offering to Him, not just to look good. Do we dress to be seen? to be popular? to show off the bling-bling? Or do we dress modestly to honor God?
When we spend money do we spend for us? Too often we spend money we don’t have on things we don’t need to impress people we don’t like. We should handle all our money in a way to make God proud: giving to the poor, investing, saving, paying off debt, and so on.
How do you use your time? How do you treat your family? How diligent are you at your work? When you read your Bible, is to please God, or just follow daily routine? Does your prayer life honor God? Do you worship and thank Him, or just tell Him what you want?
Have you ever seen someone come to a wedding just for the food? A wedding feast is held to honor the bride and groom, not to stuff your gut and take three plates home. God feels the same way when we look at the Bible as a self-help manual instead of a guide book to know Him better.
Live for His glory; you’ll be glad you did.
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