Every day that we live is a day of opportunity. There are many different events within the day that, when they are all lumped together, make up the events that summarize your day of opportunity. The mini-events have such an effect where we can conclude that the overall day was “a good one” or “a bad one,” and we readily recognize days where there are triumphs, successes, and, of course, setbacks or tragedies. We often measure our personal progress in segments that are broken down to the days we live, but we need to always remember that personal success or failure are not to be the defining measurement of our life. Our true success is in how we glorify God in everything that we do.
When we look at the things that we do each day, we don’t often think about glorifying God in what we do. We don’t, for example, look at the act of brushing our teeth as a way of glorifying God, but consider that your good habits of caring for your teeth will keep your healthy and make a contribution towards your overall appearance as you do your work for the Lord! When we look at this verse, it gives greater evidence to the fact that the Lord wants you to have the same focus in everything you do:
Colossians 3:23-24
23 Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord. You serve the Lord Christ.
This includes everything that you do in work, in leisure, at home, at the grocery store—everywhere that you go. This involves a lifestyle of living eagerly for Christ—and it means that everything that you do will reflect your love for the Lord. It will be evident in your appearance, your speech, and your actions. You are a living testimony for Jesus Christ, and it will be evident to everyone who sees you. All of your words and actions will, in turn, glorify God!
Your approach to your life has a profound effect on how you glorify God. If you wake up every day “on the wrong side of the bed,” your focus will often reflect on negativity rather than on being positive or having a favorable outlook on life. Your approach to life is often about your attitude. A person with an attitude problem is more focused on self and all of the issues surrounding the cause of the attitude than on doing anything enthusiastically for the Lord. Your attitude will invariably have a positive or negative impact on your day of opportunity.
In order to maximize your ability to glorify God in everything that you do, it is important for you to develop a living philosophy and approach to each day. This is not about reading more self-help books or looking for something that the world offers about feeling good about yourself, but there is a lot to be said about the importance of confidence in who you are and what you do, and that confidence comes with your understanding of who Jesus Christ is in your life and the loyalty that you have for Christ because of what He has done for you.
1 Peter 2:24
He Himself bore our sins
in His body on the tree,
so that, having died to sins,
we might live for righteousness;
you have been healed by His wounds.
Remember that everything that you do or say is because of your healthy relationship with Jesus Christ. He is working within you as you work through Him, which, in turn, brings Him glory.
Philippians 2:13
For it is God who is working in you, enabling you both to desire and to work out His good purpose.
Philippians 4:13
I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.
Glorifying God to the best of your ability consists of three important elements:
1.) Being yourself
To be yourself is not the essence of living any way you want to as we are addressing it here, for to do so means that you are focusing more upon self than upon God. Being yourself is about living as the very person that God created you to be. To be who you are in Christ is the opposite of living in your own strength or ability, or even living in such a way where you are conforming to the expectations of others. God would rather that you not listen to what your friends or family say that you should be, but instead would rather that you would be obedient to His Word and to His will as you live your life. He knows you better that anyone else does, and He reminds you over and over how much He values you as a person:
Psalm 139:13-16
13 For it was You who created my inward parts;
You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise You
because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made.
Your works are wonderful,
and I know this very well.
15 My bones were not hidden from You
when I was made in secret,
when I was formed in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw me when I was formless;
all my days were written in Your book and planned
before a single one of them began.
Ephesians 2:10
For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.
You should also be yourself because God knows your heart, which indicates your sincerity in your relationship with Him as you perform your daily routine.
1 Samuel 16:7
But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature, because I have rejected him. Man does not see what the LORD sees, for man sees what is visible, but the LORD sees the heart.”
2.) Use your gifts and talents
Since God created you to be yourself, He gave you certain gifts and talents that He wants you to use and develop in order to be a living testimony—which will glorify God as you use your gifts.
Romans 12:6-8
6 According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts:
If prophecy,
use it according to the standard of one’s faith;
7 if service, in service;
if teaching, in teaching;
8 if exhorting, in exhortation;
giving, with generosity;
leading, with diligence;
showing mercy, with cheerfulness.
Notice that our gifts are to be used with humility but also with the confidence that our gifts promote a position of leadership in our ministry for the Lord. You don’t have to be a leader in your group to exhibit leadership qualities. Those who are great in hospitality are performing acts of service, but it is in those acts of service you are exhibiting leadership as a member of the body of Christ. Your acts cannot help but glorify Him because you are using your gifts for Him.
3.) Seek excellence in everything you do
As you live and grow each day, you discover that there is always room for even more growth and more improvement. Life is meant to be a learning experience, and if you continue to find ways to grow in the use of your gifts and talents, you will continue to glorify God in your actions. It is when you believe that there’s nothing more that you can do to improve how you do your work that there is less humility in your way of thinking and there is more self-centeredness in your approach to life. The person who yields to the Spirit in everything that they do will conform and act according to the Spirit. If you are seeking the best in everything you do for the Lord, you are open to learn and grow for God’s glory.
Proverbs 16:3
Commit your activities to the LORD,
and your plans will be achieved.
Matthew 5:14-16
14 “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. 15No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
Your good works will glorify God as you seek excellence in everything that you do. If we always remember that God wants not only the best for us but also for each of us to be the best that we can be, we will glorify God in everything that we do. Our best for Him comes through the realization that He loves us.
Copyright © Melvin Gaines. All rights reserved.
Melvin Gaines 