Priority

In His Name Devotionals
PRIORITY

“...to the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:11 NIV)

Paul’s prayer in Philippians 1:9-11 closes with a reminder that love, excellence, integrity, and righteousness bring glory and praise to God.

God’s glory is a recurring theme in Paul’s writing, and rightly so, because that is the Christian’s highest priority. But what is God’s glory, and what does it mean to bring Him glory? After all, He is infinitely glorious in nature, so you can not add anything to Him. And His glory can never be dimished, so it does not have to be replenished or bolstered.

Moses said to God, “I pray Thee, show me Thy glory! And (God) said, I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion” (Exodus 33:18). In effect God told Moses that His glory is the composite of His attributes.

That suggests you can glorify God by placing His attributes on display in your life. When others see godly characteristics such as love, mercy, patience, and kindness in you, they have a better picture of what God is like. That honors Him. That is why it is so important to guard your attitudes and actions. Paul admonished Timothy to be exemplary in his “speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity” (1 Timothy 4:12). That should be true of every believer.

Another way to glorify God is to praise Him. David said, “Ascribe to the Lord, O sons of the mighty, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to His name; worship the Lord in holy array...In His temple everything says, Glory!” (Psalm 29:1-2, 9).

You cannot add to God’s glory, but you can proclaim it in your words and deeds. What picture of God do others see in you? Does your life bring glory to Him?