Glory Not For Us, But For God

Imagine if we were able to give a truth serum to husbands and wives and we asked them why they married each other. I suspect many of them would say, “so the other person could make me happy.” That sounds quite self centered, but what if you were to ask Christians why they trusted Christ? How many of them would say, “so He can make me happy?”
-
No doubt, I am happy to know that my sins have been forgiven and that God the Father loved this world so much that He sent His son to die for us. But, it is so easy to start to think that everything that God does is all about us, rather than all about Him.
-
Did God make us just so He could please us? Perhaps you have heard a few sermons or motivational speeches that have left you with that impression. Actually, the truth is that God made us for His own glory. Revelation 4:11 says, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” That includes us. We were created not so that He could please us, but so that we could please Him.
-
No doubt, as we trust Him and serve Him, we receive many blessings, but that is not the reason we are here. Revelation 4:11 actually gives us the meaning of life- the reason we are alive. That reason is to glorify the one who created us. Realizing Christ is the creator God, Hebrews 3:3-4 says, “For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.”
-
We live in a society where people know about God, but they are so vain that they act as if their desires are more important than God’s. Roman’s chapter 1 talks about the downward progression of a society that has turned from God. Notice how that progression starts. “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” (Romans 1:21)
-
Too many Christians focus on what they are saved from and forget about what they are saved for. So what are we saved for? Often the focus is on heaven and its benefits, but consider I Corinthians 6:20, “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” This shows us that we are not saved JUST so that we can enjoy the benefits of heaven, but we are saved so that we can glorify God.
-
Some may be tempted to criticize God for being so self centered in wanting all that glory for Himself, especially when He says things like, “For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.” (Isaiah 48:11) Any criticism of God is a misunderstanding of who He is.
-
Being self centered is wrong for a sinful human because it takes the focus off of a perfectly holy God, for all have sinned and come short of His glory. But, for a perfect God to reserve glory for Himself is only natural. “Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake.” (Psalm 115:1)