Do Everything for God’s Glory?

I once heard a Christian counselor say that we should measure each day by how much glory we give God. That simple statement took me back.

There are many ways I measure my day at the end of it…how much did I not get done today? How much did I complain today? In what ways did I fail today?

You can tell I measure my days in a rather negative way; I don’t measure my days by how much glory I give God. I don’t believe many of us think at the end of the day, how much glory did I bring God today? Did any of my actions or words point back to God? If we are not conscious of those questions, then more likely that the answer will be no, or I don’t know.

Colossians 3:23

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men…

This verse can be plainly put: whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. The word heartily means from the core of one’s being. Christians should do everything with all their heart, motivated by their love for God and people.

We are supposed to have pure motivations in serving God and people, and do it all for God’s glory. This seems like a very tall and nearly impossible order. I get frustrated, I stress, complain, I’m moody sometimes. As I’m sure many women can relate.  

We can be very moody and emotional; we have a lot to balance: jobs, kids, schedules, events, planning meals, shopping, and the list goes on. All that can get to a person, leading to unglorifying actions and thoughts. The very notion of leading a day that brings God full glory and points back to Him could be deemed impossible or difficult. That seems pathetic or even sad-sounding, deeming it difficult to have our lives, actions, and thoughts point back to Christ.

As Christians, we are supposed to be set apart from the world, to act and live differently from the world. So, we need to take a step back and begin examining our days, and asking, how can I give more glory to God? How can I point my life back to Him?

The answer is not as complicated as we might think, but it will take some rewiring in our brains by being more conscious of our actions and words.

No Complaining – I certainly don’t begin with an easy one, do I? I will be the first to admit (not proudly) that I am a complainer. I do not need much for me to find something to complain about. Complaining, when we think deeply enough about it, is one of the most shameful and low things we can do.

To complain means to express dissatisfaction or annoyance about something. If we complain about our job, we are expressing dissatisfaction or annoyance to God, because He gave us that job.

If we complain about the weather, we are expressing dissatisfaction or annoyance with God, because He is the One Who gives us the weather. If we complain and whine about things we don’t have, we are expressing dissatisfaction or annoyance to God, because He has given us everything we need, and yet we focus on what we don’t have. Getting the broad picture? When we complain, we are complaining to God.

Philippians 2:14-15

14 Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world…

Practice Gratitude – Practicing and cultivating gratitude is not easy. Like complaining, we can easily find things to be ungrateful for.

I don’t know if it is the way I’m wired or that odd part of me, but I tend to find myself studying people. What makes them the way they are? What traits do they have? What makes them so cheerful? Or so grouchy? I have found in my observations that people, on the whole, tend to be very ungrateful and negative. Instead of looking at any positives, they will find the negatives. They can’t find the good, only the bad. These people, I find to lead a very sad life.

Do we lead such a life? Do we find it easier to see only the bad and not the good? I will answer for many of us. Yes. It can be easier to simply see the negative and not the positives. But, like complaining, it will bring no glory to God, because we are not giving thanks for what God has given us.

God showers us with good things and blessings every day, and all we see is the one cloud in the sky. He gives us the breath in our lungs, the food in our pantry, the home in which we live, and friends and family. He gives new grace and mercy for each new day. He gave His only Son for our salvation. And yet, all we tend to focus on are the cloudy days.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

In everything give thanks;

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Paul, the author of this book, is telling us to give thanks in all things. One might scoff at that; impossible! Well, Paul gave thanks after being beaten and thrown into jail for preaching the gospel. He gave thanks while in chains and under house arrest for two years.

There will be times when there seems to be absolutely nothing to be grateful for, but through God’s strength and an open heart, we just might find one.

This verse says that we should be thankful for all situations in our lives. To do that, we have to switch our mindset. When you switch your mindset from complaining to finding something good, it can change everything in your mind and life. Gratitude changes your attitude and outlook for the better.

Cultivating gratitude means opening our hearts and lives to God’s generosity as we recognize the gifts He has given us.  Gratitude pulls us out of selfishness and opens us to a joyous world of contentment. And it shifts our minds and hearts to a positive perspective.

We can do this by taking time in the morning and at night to write down everything we were thankful for that day. The positives we saw and did, the small blessings we might have received, and more importantly, dwell on all that God has given. And by doing so, bring God the glory.

Be Kind – I’m sure each of us, at some point, has experienced a rude and unkind person, and most likely, that person didn’t make our day any better. However, I am sure that we, also at some point, have been a little unkind.

If we get irked at rudeness, how can we justify being unkind to others? Unkindness comes in many different forms: rudeness, cutting in front of people, stepping around those in need of a helping hand, being impatient, and being so focused on yourself, you simply do not care about those around you. Not exactly the best way to show the light of Christ.

The main problem is that we can justify being unkind and short-tempered with people. Especially to the ones who have wronged you. The ones who treat you with ill manners. Even the ones who just seem to go out of their way to be rude.

How can we be kind to them? It is sad to say that showing kindness and compassion to others is not easy. It may not be easy, but it is what is commanded of us to do.

Luke 6:35-36

35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. 36 Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

Ephesians 4:32

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Jesus dealt with a lot of rude and unkind people. People who blasphemed Him when all He did was show kindness and love. People who never thanked Him when He healed them. And yet what does the verse in Luke say? For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. If we thought being grateful was going to be difficult, this is going to be very hard. Because we can’t pick and choose who we are kind to, Jesus didn’t; He showed kindness to the very people who later had Him crucified on the cross.

So many people need kindness shown to them. Some ways to begin showing kindness to others are: writing a simple note of thankfulness to someone. Being generous with your compliments to others. Let someone go in front of you in line. Listen to Others. Hold the Door. Offer Help.

Show the kindness of Jesus to others.

Give Praise – The ultimate way to give God glory is by actually giving Him praise and glory for what He has done and given us.

Hans Christian Anderson once said, “The whole world is a series of miracles, but we are so used to them we call them ordinary things.” When is the last time we looked at the world around us, and saw the wonder and beauty of God’s creation? I see a lot of people looking zoned out or simply bored, or worse yet, so glued to their phones that they are not seeing the wonder of the world around them.

The tallest tree in the U.S is a Sequoia sempervirens named Hyperion; it is over 380 feet tall and is in Redwood National Park in California.

And to think that a massive tree started as a small seed, is that not a wonder? All the flowers and trees we see started as seeds. But who gave us the very first trees and flowers so we can have those seeds? God. He is the reason why we have beauty all around us; it’s why we have hundreds of different flowers and trees, and plants. Don’t you think God deserves a little praise for it?

Psalm 95:1-2

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,

And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;

2 To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,

And Your faithfulness every night,

How often, when we pray, that we begin with giving praise? God has given us many wonderful gifts, and we get so caught up in our complaints and requests that we forget to say “thank you.”

God has blessed us with so much and has answered our prayers; we need to give God thanks for them.

There is always something we can give God praise for, even when we feel like there is nothing. Give praise for the requests He has answered, and thank Him for His grace, mercy, and peace He showers on us every day.

We can take this even further and praise God for His character. His Attributes. We need to take time to give thanks to God for His perfect character, His holiness, and presence. God has given us so much more than we possibly even know. How often do our thoughts turn towards gratitude and giving praise to God for His numerous gifts? From salvation to provisions, to answered prayers, to the very world we live in, to the air we breathe.

It’s all worthy of giving God the praise and the glory.

So, how will you measure your day? By how much you failed, or by how much you gave God glory?Let your actions give God the ultimate glory.