Do It All For the Glory of God

I often see people on TV holding up signs with scripture verses, most commonly John 3:16, but occasionally others. I’m sure there is some value to their witness – it’s good to remind people of what God has done for us.

 

I personally would like to see someone holding up a sign for 1 Corinthians 10:31, “Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God”.  This is a reminder to us about how we should live. If Christians were all to take this to heart and live it out every day, the witness to the world around us would be truly earthshaking.

 

How do we bring this about? Jesus was our perfect example. His whole life was one of obedience to the Father and drawing people to Him. He lived a life of sacrificial love. At the end of His life, as He was contemplating His death, Jesus was able to say, “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do” (John 17:4).

 

We are witnesses to God’s glory when we strive to serve and obey Him and do His will. In doing so, we will bring His love to others as we seek their good before our own.  Jesus says to us, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35).

 

What are the day-to-day implications of living out this call? Paul tells us in Colossians Chapters 3 and 4 and Ephesians Chapters 5 and 6 about some of the specific things we should be doing. Read them when you have a chance. They are a good review to see how we measure up. I’ve listed a few areas below.

 

Behavior : “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Colossians 4:6). “Now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other” (Colossians 3:8-9).

 

Work: Paul wrote about slaves and masters, but the same principles hold true for employees and employers today. “Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord” (Colossians 3:22-23).

 

Family: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25). “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).

 

Relationships: “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3:13).

 

Next week, we will look at how we live out 1 Corinthians 10:31 as congregations and organizations. 

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The individual posts in this blog have been collected into a book, Reflections From the Basic Truths Blog.  It is available for free as an ebook through Barnes and Noble, https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/reflections-from-the-basic-truths-blog-james-yarmchuk/1147055811?ean=2940181202702, Apple Books, and multiple other book websites. It is available for a minimal charge on Amazon and can also be purchased as a paperback through them.