Who Gets the Glory?

“Jesus is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him.”

Last semester I heard that quote, and every time I have come upon it since it has always caught my attention. It sounds so simple, yet as usual putting it into action proves to be a bit of a challenge. When I allow myself to be completely satisfied in Christ and to put myself aside, others can see God more clearly in me. I mean it makes sense, when I live in a way that is content with God in control, my actions should certainly be more glorifying to God.

When I live for myself, the only person I am glorifying and pleasing is my own sinful nature. What is the benefit of that? What is the point of living a life that only makes myself happy, and doesn’t do anyone else any good? I mean sure we can convince ourselves that we are benefiting the other people around us in one way or another with our actions, but if we get down to the truth of the matter that isn’t true. There is no way that others can see God in my life when I personally don’t have God active in my life. I feel like sometimes I let myself think that even if I’m just doing what I want, people will think I'm a good person and will see good in my actions anyways.

Even if what I’m doing isn’t necessarily bad, having that mentality is only building up my pride. It makes me think that as long as what I’m doing is still good, then people will think that I’m good. That isn’t right either! That still makes it all focused on myself! There is no true, Godly benefit to doing whatever I want to do. And the thing is, once I get in a routine of living for myself, it’s hard to snap myself out of it. It becomes comfortable, and I begin to excuse my actions completely. That’s why earlier when I mentioned that I had kind of fallen out of my devotions over break, I knew I had to make myself get back in them. Otherwise I would have gotten comfortable in not spending time in the Word, and it easily could have been a month before I even really thought about doing them again. That’s so wrong! I shouldn’t have this whole method of living for myself.

The more I think about it, the more I realize that quote is so very true. I need to live my life in a way that is so very content on God that nothing else matters. My pride doesn’t matter. What other people think of me doesn’t matter. My sinful human nature doesn’t matter. All of the things that I allow to dictate my selfishly-led life don’t matter.

I need to allow God to be glorified in my life more than I let myself be glorified.