Live For The Glory of God

“So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
1 Corinthians 10:31 (NLT)

The Bible gives us a powerful principle to live by that will set you free from a lot of religious rules and regulations we often think we must follow. Religion will bury you in rules and expectations. But genuine faith that is authentic and real is based on a relationship that is personal and intimate. In this passage, the emphasis is not on what we do, but on the motivation for how we do it. Paul says, “… whatever you do,…” He is not telling us what to do or what we should not do. His simple instruction is that whatever we do, whether you eat or drink that we “… do it all for the glory of God.” Do you do that?

This is a standard for living the Christian life that will set you free. Whatever you do for your career, whatever you do at home, in all your relationships, whatever you say, simply ask yourself, “Am I doing this for the glory of God?”  Ask yourself, “Would God be glorified by this?” If it brings Him glory, then you are free to do it unless His Spirit checks. The moment you sense a check from the Holy Spirit, you redirect. It’s like my GPS when I’m going somewhere I’ve never been. If I take a wrong turn, I hear, “Redirecting,” and I know that I need to make a change, which often means to turn around. The bible word for that is repentance. Repentance simply means that whatever I’m doing, if it was not for God’s glory, I need to stop and redirect whether it was in word or deed. This requires a sensitivity to listen to the Holy Spirit and a willingness to follow His internal GPS in my heart. The greater the relationship I share with Christ, the easier it becomes.

The Christian life is not a set of rules to live by but a person to live with – Jesus Christ. Colossians 3:17 (NIV) says, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Whatever I do, whatever I say, should be done in His name since I call myself a Christian, one in whom Jesus Christ abides. As a Christ follower, my motivation in life has changed from pleasing myself to pleasing Him and bringing honor to His name that I now bear. As Christians, you and I always represent the Lord Jesus, wherever we go and whatever we say. All that our world may ever see of Jesus is what they will see in us.

The real question to ask ourselves, then, is not what am I to do, but what impression does the world get of Christ when they see me or talk with me? What changes in my life do I need to make that would honor His name? When we do that, we no longer worry about our reputation. Our concern is more for the reputation of His name through whatever we do or say. Bearing the name of Christ is the greatest privilege and the highest responsibility we could ever have. Live your life for the glory of God. It is the most fulfilling life you can live!

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To read this devotional online or catch up on past ones, visit https://kerryshook.org/blog.

Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.

Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.