We do not have the luxury to choose nor decide how God is to be “glorified”.

I mean, folks try all the time to do this- determine what glorifies God. We all have seen and heard it, if not do it regularly ourselves. That college or pro athlete, after a stellar performance in a game, is quick and bold to tell the person holding the microphone in front of their face: “First of all I want to give God all the glory!”

A timid singer stands before a church congregation and tells everyone at the start to “not look at me, but look at God as He is glorified while I sing this song”.

Why, I have had people in a roundabout way tell me off and on over the years how some of my scenic pictures I take and post really ‘glorify God’. Please know that when I do hear that, I can appreciate what they are communicating in that moment. I ‘get it’; I get how when we see a photo (taken by anyone for that matter) of a majestic sunset or any aspect of God’s creation, we tend to focus our thoughts on the creator and therefore He must be receiving honor and glory.

Anyone ever heard the term used talking about someone’s ‘God-given talents’?

That expression is often applied to most anything that someone does exceptionally well; be it painting a beautiful scene on canvas, crafting a piece of furniture from wood, roping a calf in record time and yes, even dunking a basketball.

I don’t know about you but I have often wondered just ‘how’…God is glorified just because someone performs an ‘act’ like one mentioned above. Really? Does God watch a college football game and jump out off His throne when that young freshman comes off the bench in the final minutes to heave a piece of leather downfield into the arms of a waiting receiver to win the game as the clock winds down? Then, as God is ‘high-fiving’ the angels and that 19 year old kid humbly tells the world that he ‘gives God all the glory’ for what everyone just witnessed, does God grin from ear to ear, pointing to the kid and then telling the angels: “That’s My boy!” as if He is some proud father?

I’d be curious to know if anyone has ever been so deeply moved upon by the Holy Spirit after hearing such a statement how one ‘gives all the glory to God’ and then in turn fell to their knees in brokenness and repentance and began calling on the name of the Lord to ‘save them’. I suppose it could have happened…maybe someday we will know. But now, once again…I digress. :- )

When we talk about God being ‘glorified’, do we even know what that means?

To ‘glorify’ is to praise or honor something or someone to an extreme degree. If you like someone, you might compliment or praise them, but glorifying takes that a step further. When something is glorified, it is praised to the highest degree possible.

And as I stated at the beginning here, we do not have that luxury to determine how God is to be glorified.

He does. And Jesus told us exactly how the Father is ‘glorified’ right there in John 15:8:

“By this….My Father is glorified by this, or in this manner: when you bear and produce much fruit.”

Why Jesus even goes on to say this is also how one demonstrates they are a true disciple…by the fruit they manifest. This statement comes shortly after He emphasized that new ‘earmark’ of what a disciple looks like, ‘by the love they have one for another and how all will know’. (John 13:34-35)

Oh, I might also mention that if you continue reading there in John 15 you will also come across another ‘qualifier’ when He mentions that this fruit we bear ‘should remain’. (16). Isn’t that interesting? Do you think that would suggest that this ‘fruit’ is more than just ‘seasonal’? I mean after all, we all can be shining examples of what it means to be ‘Christlike’ on our ‘good days’, when we are ‘feeling up to it’. But what is coming out of our hearts on those ‘not so good days’?

Just to be frank here…being able to drive a golf ball off the tee 350 yards straight down the fairway nearly 100% of the time…might be a ‘God given talent’, but it is not the kind of ‘fruit’ Jesus is talking about here. You are free to disagree and we can still be friends too. :- )

The fruit that God is looking to see produced in us, and in increasing abundance, is the fruit of His character and nature and likeness. We are not ‘Christlike’ because we say we are or sing that we are. We are Christlike because we bear and produce His likeness all…the time. And the fruit of His nature is obvious; as Paul details it for us in Galatians 5 – It is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (22-23).

Now here is the ‘catch’ and main point I feel compelled to remind us all of once again- “As a branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine…neither can you nor I…bear this fruit unless…unless…unless we abide in Him.” Jesus said that. (John 15:4)

IF…we are not truly abiding in Him, then there will be no fruit produced. Period. Oh…we might stay busy in church life and produce thick trunks and an abundance of leaves and even on occasion small buds of fruit might appear. Why we might even have labels assigned to us suggesting we are a particular type of fruit tree. But it will be apparent to all by what comes out of our mouths/hearts as to what kind of ‘tree’ you actually are. (Matt. 12:33-37;15:18-19; 7:18-20)

And once again: Fruit matters. (Luke 13:6-9; Matt. 3:10)

So if bearing this kind of fruit that God is looking for is that important, and we are incapable of producing this kind of fruit unless…we are abiding in Him (His words, not mine) then it would seem that we might want to take a step back and redirect our focus and attention on what it means to truly be abiding in Jesus; don’t you think?

I mean…”end times prophesy’ is exciting stuff to teach and can really draw a crowd. And all this discussion as to when the rapture is coming keeps us on the edge of our seats, for a little while, at least. (How about those Rangers!?- my post from the other day). And trying to pin down exactly how this ‘mark of the beast’ will be applied, be it with microchips or whatever can get our brains spinning for sure.

But do we really know and understand what it means to be abiding in Christ? And even more importantly: Are we? Because IF…we are abiding in Him…then that fruit will remain (John 15:16) our joy will be full (10-11) and…and…and…we will be walking just as He walked. (1 John 2:6)

Oh, I forgot to mention that other one…about how if we are abiding in Him, we ‘no longer sin’. (1 John 3:6). His words, not mine. I know that is problematic for most everyone today sitting in church when you are told just the opposite. But when Jesus said He came to ‘set us free’ from sin, what He really meant was…we would be ‘free indeed’. (John 8:32-36). And if we continue to commit sin, then we remain a slave…and a slave is not ‘free’ nor…does he ‘abide in the house forever’. (vs. 34)

So if you are still with me here, and wondering to yourself: “How do I ever get to this place?”, then I have good news. (Well, it’s good news if you really want to see this carried out in your life.) But you are going to have to surrender to Him…with your whole heart and begin to follow Him.

And guess what He’s going to lead you to do? No, not go out and glorify God with all your ‘talents’. He is going to lead you to …die to self. (Rom. 8:13). You do realize that there can be no fruit unless something first ‘dies’. (John 12:24). And it is YOU…that has to ‘die’; well, your ‘old man’, that is. That old sinful nature. This is what it means to abide and follow Him. And yes, there will be some ‘suffering’ involved. But not to the point of ‘shedding blood’ like Jesus did for you and I. (Heb. 12:4)

I should also tell you here as well: There is no other way. Period. Many will tell you there is, and multitudes will seek to find another way. Funny how we find comfort in crowds…even if they are heading in the wrong direction. (Matt. 7:13). But I have to tell from what I am learning and experiencing…this ‘abiding thing’ is not nearly as bad and restrictive as it might sound to some. It’s where all the true peace and joy and freedom is. I can also share with you, there is plenty more to go around. What are you waiting for?