Living for the Glory of God
Winter 2025
God’s Word teaches us that we are created for God’s glory, to glorify Him in our bodies and spirits, in eating, drinking, and doing. The Shorter Catechism beautifully tells us that our “chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” Yet in our very ordinary lives and daily routines, how often is “glorifying God” not our motivating thought to action and speech? Although we may be unmindful, God is pleased to bring His glory into our everyday, ordinary lives! Something as small as giving a cup of cold water to a little one is noticed by God and is counted worthy of reward.
During my active mothering years, one little son came in one late afternoon and asked for some water. As a very weary mama I sighed, and was immediately rebuked by the Holy Spirit, who reminded me of His Word. My child received a cup of water that day from his mother who received a heart lesson from the Lord. How gracious our God is to link His glory with our everyday living!
God is intrinsically glorious; He is worthy to receive glory and honor! When Moses asked to see God’s glory, He showed Moses His goodness—His mercy, grace, longsuffering, and truth (Exodus 34:6). In the New Testament, the disciples beheld God’s glory revealed in Jesus Christ, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). Hebrews 1:1–3 proclaims the honors of God’s Son, our dear Lord Jesus, who embodies the brightness of God’s glory. I love William Gadsby’s hymn “Immortal Honours Rest on Jesus’ Head” because He has finished the work needed for our salvation! Truly “that man of Calvary has won my heart from me; He died to set me free, that man of Calvary”! Paul told the Galatians that he didn’t want to glory in anything except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (6:14). The gospel gives Christian women ample reason for living entirely for the glory of God.
How can we make the general principle of living for God’s glory specific to our ordinary lives? We declare God’s glory when we live for Him: when we regard and reverence God before men and in letting our light shine that they may see our good works and glorify the Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16). We glorify God by our speech: by glorifying Him for His deliverances (Psalm 50:15) and by transferring the praise we receive onto God as Paul did in 1 Corinthians 15:10. We glorify God by loving Him as the first and great commandment says; we esteem Him above all; and our highest affections belong to Him as Asaph exclaims in Psalm 73:25. We glorify God when we lean on Him in faith and trust Him to be our refuge, strong tower, shield, rock, wisdom, strength, and all we need in times of both joy and sorrow.
To be more intentional about living for God’s glory will greatly benefit our growth in grace, but even when we are unaware, God takes note and in the last day will say, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto Me” (Matthew 25:40). So dear teenage girl, beautiful single woman, weary mama of a newborn, busy mama of littles, tired mama of teenagers, older mama of adult children, grandmas, widows, stressed ladies, be not weary in well-doing, but count it a high honor to live, speak, love, and lean on Him for His glory day by day!
B. Mooney