1 Peter 4:12-14

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

Constantly we are reminded by sermons, by hymns, and certainly by the Scriptures that we should be giving God glory, but at times the “how” of giving glory to God seems a bit hazy at best. In our striving to “do” the specific thing of “giving glory to God,” we skip over the much more God-designed way of giving glory to Him. We are beings who instinctively worship and fawn over things. We allow our perceptions to determine our attitudes. It is this very nature that God has designed to be the avenue for His glory. It is not on a checklist of things like “get the oil changed, clean the house, glorify God.” Rather, we are to glorify God while doing all other things. Paul says in 1 Cor. 10:31 that it should even be something that happens while we are eating and drinking. It is an outlook that results in outbursts. It is a mindset that results in attitude. It is a view of God as utterly in charge of all things, and hence praiseworthy of His wisdom even when it is far beyond our understanding. That in joy and in sorrow, God is our satisfaction, not circumstances. Pastor John Piper says it this way, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” It is the idea that in the most blessed experience we can see God as the giver of good gifts. Conversely, it means that God is glorified in our deepest darkest valleys when we see Him as a God Who is in control and Who longs to comfort us as His aching child. That even when we get punched in the deepest part of our soul, we can turn with eyes of faith to a Sovereign God who knows all and holds all. And that in that moment, we can say through the deepest possible pain with tears in our eyes, “God knows me, God loves me, and God will not forsake me.” It is then, that He is truly glorified in us.

Food For Thought: We saw today that glorifying God isn’t typically an action in and of itself. Give the circumstance from 1 Peter 4:12-14, that Peter mentioned that God can be glorified through.