Hi everyone, I am back in Nicaragua for two weeks. This place keeps calling to me and I know that God is working here in a great way. Please keep me in your prayers that I follow His leading. Rip

Glorify

John 17:1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, "Father, the hour has come; Glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you.”

WOW! This passage hit me like a rock today. The part that got me was this; in what I do, do I glorify God? Interesting question, most of the time I am pretty good about bringing glory to myself. I usually take care of my needs, I am a good father and husband, I am a friend, a hard worker, a good listener, a faithful follower of Christ, and have many other very worthwhile attributes, which attest to my value. But what good is all this about me if I only bring glory to myself? Who am I serving and whom am I calling attention to?

I am convinced that in God's wisdom He did not say, hummmmm, “I wonder how great I can make Rip today,” or “I think I will make Rip just a little special.” No, in actuality, I was created and you were created to bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. It seems somewhat strange to me how we seem to get that backward in most of our lives. I don't think it is wrong to use our ability of talents to inspire or serve others; in fact, that is what we are created to do. What is wrong is when we don't put proper acknowledgment in what was accomplished. Here is some real truth: apart from God, I am nothing.

Apart from God I am alone, fragile, foolish, sinful, broken, prideful--the list could go on. Just fill in your particular weakness and it work. Apart from God we are incapable of anything that has lasting value and worth. I love this passage from Acts 17: 28, 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of our own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.' The reality of our lives is that we can only find real value in Him and that our living should be a reflection of His glory so that we might share with Him in His eternal glory.

I hear some people say, “I don't know what I am called or created to do?” The answer actually is simple--to bring glory to God is a good first place to start. When you can't figure any of this world's issues out or places where you can plug in, then the best place to start is with a simple understanding that anything I do must bring glory to God. The next question is then: How? How do I bring glory to God?

Bringing glory to God is choosing to live in light of Christ's teaching and love. To have only teaching is not enough and to have love is not enough. It is the combination of both that brings about the proper glory. Jesus reminds us in the teaching from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:16: “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

So let's get busy. The call is to bring glory to God through all we say and do.

Blessings, Rip