Does It Give God Glory? (D.I.G.G.G?)

I often find myself asking all sorts for questions when I need to make decisions. I ask what will make me the happiest, make the most money, make others around me the most pleased, gain for me the most success. They are so common place most will read this and see no problem at all. The problem is in our constant striving we fail to ask the most vital question, the question most important to God.

Does it give God glory (D.I.GGG) To be honest before a few summers ago that question never really occurred to me. Much of my sin is my effort to make decisions based on a million other factors but God's glory was not one of them. Glory is the manifestation of God's reality, it is what emanates from God. Glory is God's beauty and greatness on display. It is our job to reflect the glory that God reveals to us to others around us.

The bible unmistakably declares the importance of God's glory. We are created for God's glory ( Isaiah 43:6-7).  We are to flee from sin because we are not our own and we are to glorify God (Corinthians 6:18-20). We are told that the whole earth is filled with the knowledge of His glory (Isaiah 6:2-3, Habakkuk 2:14). God's glory is revealed most miraculously to us in the person and work of Jesus (John 2:11, 2 Corinthians 4:6).

If giving God glory is so important why do we so often miss it? One of the reasons is that we often, even as Christians are caught up in getting praise and glory for ourselves and God's glory is rarely considered (John 7:18). The truth is we often don't ask if our behaviors and decisions give God glory because it flies in the face of our self focused culture. We want everyone to look at us and declare how awesome we are. If we are honest we want to be like God. This is certainly not a new desire it is actually the promise behind the fall in Genesis (Genesis 3:5). We want the glory, and praise.

Things that give glory to God is making choices that require consistency, self-sacrificing love, humility and transparency. Things that may cause us to be largely unrecognized and point clearly to God's glory. The truth is it is hard because we quite like the glory we get from others (John 5:41-44). Giving God glory  requires not taking credit for things accomplished through you by God. It means being honest with people that the things we accomplish are God's hand working through us. That we are broken people that God has chosen in his grace to use to accoplish His work and to bring Him glory. We are not like God. God is wholly other. He is gracious, holly, good, and just. He is creator, redeemer, perfecter. He alone deserves glory. We should not ask ourselves what will make us the happiest, most comfortable, give us the most recognition or is most enjoyable. We should ask ourselves does this decision, this behavior give the most glory to God.