Grow: To God Be The Glory

Have you been watching the Olympics lately?

I'll admit; I become an Olympic fanatic every two years. I love getting to watch sports I normally never care about. I love cheering on my country. I love rooting for the underdog and the top dog. I love it all.

And I was really struck by this quote by Gabby Douglas last night:

"It is everything I thought it'd be. Being the Olympic champion is definitely an amazing feeling. I give all the glory to God. The glory goes up to him and the blessings fall down on me."

And so it got me to thinking about giving the glory to God for our achievements, whether they are Olympic sized or not.



It's really easy to say that we are giving the glory to God, but what does that really look like? I don't claim to have all the answers, but this is a good start.

1. Wake up with the purpose of glorifying God
Too often I wake up and think about all the things I have to get done for the day, but I don't think about how I can honor God through those things. If I take the time before I get started to consciously think about how I can do the things I need to do in a God glorifying way, then I am going to be more likely to actually do it.

2. When given the opportunity, say it
Our words aren't always indicative of our hearts, but it certainly doesn't hurt to say the words that whatever you are being praised for is really all because of God. Hopefully your heart does match your words, but perhaps just the effort of saying it will get you turned in the right direction for actually doing it.

3. Remember that everything is an opportunity to give God the glory
That means that even what we would label as failures is still an opportunity to praise God for what He has done. He orchestrates everything for our good, so we can thank Him and glorify Him even in the valleys of life. Let's not miss an opportunity just because we are disappointed, upset, or sad.

And finally, I will leave you with this quote:

When we apply giving glory to God in ALL things, the fruit of the Spirit will become a reality in our lives, as God is moving closer and closer to our heart and we are enjoying a personal relationship with Him.

- Rob Chaffert

So, if you haven't checked our or series on the fruit of the spirit, you can start here!