Serious thoughts for today. Serious thoughts require serious thinking .
Serious thinking takes effort.
How much effort will you expend?
Selfish love or selfless love: loving for who He is or for what He does
So I overheard someone talk about their faith. They said “I love God because He helps me, because He protects me.” Hmmm … well, ok. Fair enough (I once new a fairy, whose name was Nuff). But don’t you wonder sometimes when people’s first thought about Jesus is for what He has done, what He could do, and what they wish He would do? OK: I’m going to be controversial here: I think this reflects a shallow relationship. Let me ask it another way: How easily can you say (and mean it):
I love You even if You to don’t do anything for me.
I will praise You even when life seems desperate and I can’t make ends meet.
I will speak of Your holiness when I am depressed and weak.
I will tell of Your greatness when I am sick and in pain.
I will consider my car, money, and reputation as garbage compared to You.
Why on earth (or in heaven!) would we say this? Well, actually we state the reason week after week! We say (at least in words) that it’s because God is worthy! We state that the radiant manifestation of God, the righteousness of His holiness and love, His glory stands above, beyond, eternal and unaltered.
You think so?
Well, in our songs we sing words like this:
- It's for Your glory we offer everything
- Here I am living for Your glory
And we read aloud these scriptures:
… and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Ph 2:11
… so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. Eph 1:12
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed
into the same image from one degree of glory to another. 2Co 3:18
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1Co 10:31
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory
that is to be revealed to us. Rom 8:18
I am shamed to think how much I put my worries, my troubles, above His glory. It tells me that I have a shallow and weak understanding of who He is.
It’s because of His glory that He loves and rescues us. Let’s recover our understanding of His Glory; we neglect it at our peril.
To God be the glory. [email protected]