Glorifying God in All Things
Scripture — Isaiah 60:21 (NRSV)
Your people shall all be righteous;
they shall possess the land forever.
They are the shoot that I planted, the work of my hands,
so that I might be glorified.
Focus
We can glorify and enjoy God by fulfilling our divine purpose, serving God in the world. God is glorified just as much when you seek to honor God in your daily work as when you sing praises to God in church. God is glorified when your relationships embody God’s justice and mercy. God can be glorified through how you spend your money, how you vote, how you manage your staff, and how you treat your neighbors.
Devotion
In Isaiah 60:21, God promises to restore Israel so that God might be “glorified.” In the Common English Bible, the Lord has acted so as “to glorify myself.” When we hear this, it can seem odd at first, even inappropriate. After all, if we seek our own glory, we might be rightly accused of being narcissistic. If, for example, I were to confess that I’m writing these Life for Leaders devotions to amplify my glory, you’d be rightly concerned about my motivation. We learn early in life never to say anything like, “I did this so that I might be glorified.” (I will confess to feeling glad when I hear that Life for Leaders makes a difference in someone’s life. And I’m sure there’s part of me that wants personal glory. But I intend to glorify God and help you connect deeply with God’s truth, grace, and love so that your work and leadership might be transformed.)
Anyway, we understand that seeking personal glory is not something we ought to do. But what is inappropriate for us is absolutely right for God. Because God is utterly glorious, it is always right for God’s glory to be celebrated. Moreover, when we respond to God by recognizing divine glory, we are enriched. We are lifted up. We find our rightful place in the cosmos.
The Westminster Shorter Catechism asks about our chief purpose as human beings. It answers that our “chief end” is “to glorify God and enjoy him forever.” How does this happen? Surely, we glorify and enjoy God when we gather with the people of God for worship. But that’s just the beginning. We can glorify and enjoy God by fulfilling our divine purpose, serving God in the world. God is glorified just as much when you seek to honor God in your daily work as when you sing praises to God in church. God is glorified when your relationships embody God’s justice and mercy. God can be glorified through how you spend your money, how you vote, how you manage your staff, and how you treat your neighbors.
In a couple of months, we’ll be celebrating Advent and Christmas. In this time we will remember the announcement of the angels, “Glory to God in the highest heaven” (Luke 2:14). This doesn’t mean only that God will be glorified in heaven by heavenly beings. Rather, God is glorified “in the highest heaven” when we live on earth for God’s glory. We are called to do this each day, in every avenue of life, at home and at work, in our neighborhoods and in the shopping malls, in our spending and in our giving, in our speaking and in our silence.
Reflect
When you think of glorifying God, what images or activities come to mind?
Are there ways you glorify God in your daily work?
How can you glorify God today?
Act
Talk with a wise friend or your small group about how you might glorify God in your daily life, in work, in your neighborhood, in your relationships, etc.
Pray
Gracious God, you have saved me to be one of your children so that I might live for the praise of your glory. Indeed, my chief purpose in life is to glorify you and enjoy you forever.
May this be true of my life! May I glorify you in my words and deeds, in my dreams and daydreams. May I live for your glory whether I’m in a worship service or at a ballgame, whether I’m sitting in traffic or at my desk. Be glorified, dear Lord, through me, each and every day. Amen.
Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: When the Messiah Is Not Who You Expected.
Mark D. Roberts
Senior Strategist
Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a Senior Strategist for Fuller’s Max De Pree Center for Leadership, where he focuses on the spiritual development and thriving of leaders. He is the principal writer of the daily devotional, Life for Leaders,...