RESOURCES — SHORT ARTICLES

 

SHORT ARTICLES BY TOM ELSEROAD
	2020-09-15	How Do I Glorify God in My Daily Life?
		How do we glorify God in the little day-by-day things? 1Co 10:31  Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. How do I do all things to glorify God? The Bible teaches that all believers should seek to maximize our enjoyment of God. John Piper is famous for saying, “God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him” If you are most satisfied in family, job, fame, success, money, food, music, or health, etc. than you are in God, then you diminish the glory of God and you magnify whatever you prioritize. We should live in order to display the supreme worth and beauty of God. This is our reason for existence. There are two main challenges that Satan uses to diminish the glorification of God in our lives. He does this by causing us to value something else more than we value God. One is PAIN and the other is PLEASURE. 1. PAIN can cause us to value something else more than God by making us angry at God. We want to be done with the pain more than we want to embrace God. So pain gives us the opportunity to glorify God by showing how much more we value Him than we value comfort from this pain. 2. PLEASURE can also cause us to value something else more than God by making us forget God. If we are so satisfied in the pleasure that His gifts give us (Ek.16:14-15) God gave Israel the great gift of beauty. Though Israel was small, she had a great reputation. But instead of it leading them to glorify God, they fell in love with the gift. Israel preferred the gift over the Giver. They dishonored God by not being satisfied in Him. How do we glorify God in the good things that He gives us? Php 4:11  Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: Php 4:12  I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. Php 4:13  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Paul makes it clear there is a spiritual truth to be learned that enables a person to be brought low or to abound. Paul is saying abounding and having plenty is as much of a challenge to the glory of God as is suffering. Paul's answer or secret to abounding is found in Philippians 3:7-8. Php 3:7  But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Php 3:8  Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ Christ is way better (v.7). The fact that good things are counted as loss does not mean they cannot be enjoyed. But it does mean that the moment they compete with your value and satisfaction of Christ, they become an enemy. Paul has learned that if Christ is more precious than anything, then both the loss and the gain of things are an occasion of treasuring Christ. 1Ti 4:3  forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 1Ti 4:4  For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; 1Ti 4:5  for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. So food and sex in marriage were created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. Everything created by God is good. And nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving. 1Ti 6:17  Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Pastor Tom Elseroad

 

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