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What’s Your Glory?

A DevotionByDon

Earlier this year, Janet and I watched a movie titled Have A Little Faith by Mitch

Albom. Mitch also wrote Tuesdays With Morrie and The Five People You Meet In

Heaven. In his Faith story, Mitch tells of the beautiful impact from his Rabbi’s

request that Mitch deliver the Rabbi’s eulogy. At the outset, Mitch lets us know,

“as is often the case with faith, I thought I was being asked a favor, when in fact I

was being given one.”

While there are many thought-provoking questions throughout this story, the one

haunting me most was the name of a book Mitch discovered his Rabbi had written,

titled What’s your glory? When Mitch asked about his book, and it’s title

question, the Rabbi told him one day at the islands a person came up to him and

asked: "Mister, what’s your glory?" To which Mitch responded, "Teaching."

After sharing this, the Rabbi turned to Mitch and asked, "So Mitch, what’s your

glory?".

In a sense, this question begs us all to know our glory …what defines us, what

exemplifies us best and to what we aspire. What is the one thing or things we do

that give us meaning, satisfaction, joy and make a difference to others and the

world?

In my research on this fascinating question, I found a sermon delivered by a

Wesley United Methodist Church pastor. In it, the pastor said “St. Irenaeus was

the one who said: "The glory of God is the human being fully alive." After saying

that, the pastor explained that “when we live out our baptismal vows, God is

glorified. God's glory is you and me, growing and doing the work of God's love.

When we live out our lives according to our baptismal vows, not only is God

glorified; our glory shines through, too.” Then he cited Psalm 84:11a (NLT), “For

the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory.”

Tony Campolo said this of “Who is a Christian?” "A Christian is one whose heart

is broken by the things that break the heart of God. A Christian is one who is angry

over the things that anger the heart of God. A Christian is one who has joy over

the things that bring joy to the heart of God." I think Tony’s insight can be

extended to say, a Christian is one who by desire of heart, seeks to reflect God’s

glory through how he or she lives their life.

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To get a better idea of what someone’s glory might be, I went to the internet and

found these examples: one person said “creating art is my glory”; others said it has

been their gift, talent or passion or “to see only the good in people.” One response

was: “to make others feel loved.”

And one person reported on their deceased husband’s glory as this: “Bill’s glory

was service... to country, to God, to man (Might we all know a Bill?). And perhaps

your glory is simply sharing God’s love.

A Dr. Dan Doriani, senior pastor of a Presbyterian church, spoke of our glory in a

sermon. In it he said, “Romans 11 impels us to ask, ‘What is your glory?,’ as we

seek to carry out the gifts God has given us, doing what we do for His glory.” Dr.

Doriani cites Psalm 95 and Jeremiah as having reminders that those things that are

our glory, are actually God’s glory working through us, and that God delights in

our extending His glory. Jeremiah 9:23-24 says, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Let not a

wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let

not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he

understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises loving-kindness,

justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,’ declares the

LORD” (NASB). Perhaps, … as the Rabbi put it, … “God sings, we hum

along.”

So if I understand this message so far, it’s that we must be an example of God’s

glory by being a model of good deeds. Wait! That’s Titus 2:7, which tells us we

are to be … 7showing yourself as a model of good deeds in every respect, with

integrity in your teaching, dignity, ….” (NAB). And have you noticed how

natural, and unaware, a person seems to be when revealing the glory God has given

them? Indeed, it is not contrived or forced; it just flows.

So what, may I ask, is your glory? Have you given this thought, knowing your

answer, or is an answer not something that comes readily?

As I reflected on our family of ministry, I came to what I imagined would be the

answer for some of you. For example, our Founder’s glory might be his passion

and urgency for seeing the Kingdom expanded through the ministry of ICM. Our

website artist’s glory might be his quietly using his gifts to bring God glory as

others see it through his work. One of our assistant’s glory might be her

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determination to find a better way, through creative ideas. Our senior

representative’s glory could be his passion and gifting for building relationships for

God’s purposes.

Our proofreader’s glory might be her gift and desire to bring excellence to

everything written (Oops; should have had her check this!). Our bookkeeper’s

glory could be bringing excellence in stewardship though the application of the

gifts God has given her. Our receptionist’s glory seems to be her welcoming spirit

to all who visit the ministry. Our prayer coordinator’s glory must be her passion

and joy for prayer. And Dick Woodward’s glory is surely his teaching. Plus, in

honor of today being our Founder’s wife’s birthday, I submit her glory is bringing

joy to every encounter!

But perhaps I’m not correct in my assessments, so to help you come to your

answers, and for those of you I didn’t cover, I’ve decided to draw on an exercise

given to us in last week’s devotion. Here’s your assignment. Take a name from

the cup being passed around and plan to get with that person as soon as you can,

initially to let them know you have their name and then to spend time with them to

help them ascertain their answer. Please check immediately to see that you didn’t

draw your own name and if you did, put it back in and draw another one. For

those not physically present, … fear not; I will draw for them and apprise each of

their match-up.

It’s important we remember our glory is nothing more than the application of what

God has given us … in gifts, in heart and in initiative. What we believe to be our

glory is not to be construed as a claim to our doing something well (as pointed out

in Acts 3:11-12, “… why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or

godliness we had made this man walk.”), or even doing it all the time. After all,

we have our human being condition, you know! Rather, it is our claim to

something God has given us and which we desire to put on a lampstand for His

glory. Our reminder of this comes in Mark 4:21 NASB, “And He was saying to

them, ‘A lamp is not brought to be put under a basket, is it, or under a bed? Is it

not brought to be put on the lampstand?’”

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So to recap what you, for yourself and for your partner, will be looking for:

What defines you?

What exemplifies you best?

To what do you aspire?

What is the one thing or things you do that give you meaning,

satisfaction, joy and make a difference to others and the world?

When you have your answer, offer it up to God, asking that He use your glory for

His glory. Then, for the rest of your assignment, go watch this movie. Then be

ready to answer when the Rabbi asks his question.