One of the hardest things to learn, and thus obviously to teach people, is how to give God the glory.
Most people who have an intense love for God believe they do give Him the glory, but often do not realize the subtleties that make the difference.
Truthfully, we all love to share the glory and God does allow some of that. Now I have to give you three Bible verses here to make that understood, lest I be called a heretic before I even write this article.
Isa 42:8
8 I am the Lord, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to graven images.
(NKJ)
2 Cor 3:18
18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
(NKJ)
Isa 60:1
1 Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.
(NKJ)
I guess I awakened to this revelation some years back when the Lord gave me this verse as a message:
Ps 108:1
1 O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.
(NKJ)
I thought, I have a glory? The Bible says here that I do! But God also has a glory. And His glory He does not share – but He will let us experience some of it, if we keep things in proper perspective.
Often the American mind wants to dehumanize itself to understand God and would “fear” to not give Him “all” the glory. But then we see some others who do take all the glory and we are amazed they are still standing.
I have learned not to be a judge here but to give these questions to the Lord as it relates to someone else. Sometimes I have an opinion, but it’s one better left to being submitted before Him.
None the less, I have to speak about this to communicate this.
God will bless His people. He will bless His servants. He will bless those who obey Him. He will bless those who love Him and praise Him. They are just good company!
But sometimes when people share with others what God is doing, the focus goes to them. They don’t mean for it too, and many times do not even know what they are doing, but when the revelation is all about what God is doing or saying “through them,” you sometimes see their flaws and want no part of it.
But when they give God all the glory, then you give God glory for using flawed vessels made of flesh, with all the struggles and battles that we go through.
Only God completely understands another person. That is why this is hard to teach because many people feel their walk with God is threatened when you try to explain this.
But if you are ~really~ a servant of the Lord and want to serve His people, you want to show them Jesus. If they stumble over you for any reason – even if you don’t agree with that reason – “you” could be in the way of Him!
This is just a place where we have to die to our flesh and focus others on Him.
Yes, you have received the great revelations and special signs and wonders and inwardly you feel a competition with others that you do not even want to acknowledge. Some refuse to even see it, because our world is often much more relevant to us than another’s.
People want to take credit for prophecies and experiences without going through the crushing of gaining the track record and joining the TEAM. There is trial and experiement which inevitably leads to some failure. But then it also leads to more proven success!
You need to learn where your gifts are and where others are. You cannot compete! But we are all in the same place when it comes to character. The old man with its carnal nature must die.
That means “what God is doing” is the focus.
When people are baby Christians, they are so open to receiving. They love being taught and will read and study and will travel long distances to go to all kinds of places where the message and instruction of the Lord is given. When the fire is ignited, it seeks fuel.
But in the process along the way, the speakers become more human. Even the pastor and other leaders are seen more as “mere men (or women).” In our pursuit of absolute authority, we want to idolize them, only to find our faith severely challenged when their human element is seen with the message.
Sometimes we get a little competitive – as the Scriptures says, “Knowledge puffs up.” But of course we don’t see that as us. If we were celebrated children, we often want the rest of the world to celebrate us that way too! We think people need the discovery of who we really are - in Christ, of course! Or maybe we are trying to make up for what we did not get in the past and see in others.
When some fall, some choose to leave the church altogether, as if God has failed them. No, He is still spinning the globe with its many air currents, but the Source of integrity has to be seen as the One Above, not the one here below on earth now.
We want to believe that our love and emotions for Him make up for any shortcomings we may have. The painful revelation is that it doesn’t and we have to forgive ourselves and go on. Others may not be as quick to forgive us as we are to forgive ourselves here, because they just don’t understand how we really feel and perceive it.
No, they see our flaws. And some, wanting to feel better in themselves, prefer to make a big deal out of flaws to justify themselves as more righteous. So they may not be as quick to forgive you, even as you are to forgive yourself!
No, most people want to see and celebrate their own efforts. And because of that zeal, they will focus on what God is doing with them, through them, in them, and about them. They mean well!
Their excitement carries a lot of “self” but they don’t see that. They are reacting to the glory. Sometimes they truly need to share it the way they do. But sometimes their zeal is a hindrance because other people see more of “them” than “Him”! Then there is a stumbling block, that sometimes some can’t get past.
We have to be willing to see this, or often we will take it as an accusation when it is pointed out to us.
But if we LEARN how to focus the glory to Him from OFF of us, off of “our” experience in it, He will share it and the glory OF THE LORD will rise upon us! It’s still His glory, we are just more in the Presence of it. It’s called “the cloak (or garment) of humility” and you judge it by the good fruit of it!
I will update this later, Lord willing - I have to go to my homegroup now.
