Stolen Glory

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On a recent Mentoring Warriors trip to Malawi, Africa, we exchanged our US dollars for Malawian Kwacha. The exchange rate was USD 1.00 equals MK2000(Malawian Kwacha.) I exchanged USD 200 and got MK400,000.  A can of Pepsi costs MK 1485, (about 75 cents USD).  

Exchanging funds is one thing, but exchanging glory is another.

Romans 1: 18-25 is a sobering read about the condition of humanity. 

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

Sin is a glory problem. It is an unequal exchange that devalues God and elevates man. Sin worships the created not the Creator. 

What has been seen about God is in plain sight. While in Malawi, we took eight young African men to the Zomba Plateau for a Mentoring Warriors Mountain Man adventure retreat. Standing on the veranda of the cottage we rented, we sang worship to God with the hills and trees surrounding us.

What better than to sing to the glory of God in the presence of God surrounded by the creation of God?

When I exchange the glory of God for my own, I steal His glory. I take His infinite, never-ending glory and squander it for an extremely cheap substitute. In the process, I become darkened in my thinking. I become a fool.   Glory for myself makes me out to be a fool. 

When Romans 1:24 says that God gave us up to the lusts of our hearts; to impurity, to dishonoring our bodies, His heart was broken and torn while He gave us up.

I recall parenting our kids. There were times they insisted on their ways. They had to have whatever it was they were fixated on. It didn’t seem to matter how much I tried to tell them what they wanted was a waste of time, but they insisted.  After a while, I finally said. “Fine. If you think that is such a great thing to have, then have it.  The consequences will be yours to deal with.”

Time won out.  The thing they thought that had to have, proved to be a disaster. Disappointment, tears, broken hearts. 

What does a parent do when this happens to his or her child?  

Do you say “I told you so”?

Or

Do you wrap your arms around them, hold them tight, letting their tears be a sign of repentance?

Every time we choose the glory of this world, the glory of our flesh, we steal glory from God. Yes, even Jesus’ followers steal God’s glory. When a pastor is caught in an affair, he is stealing God’s glory. 

His thinking is futile. When a young man falls into pornography and the sexual trappings that come with it, he is stealing the glory of God. His glory is himself. 

When a woman misreports her business expenses, to her advantage, she is stealing the glory of God. 

Glory is rightfully due to God alone. Glory is the magnificence, worth, loveliness, and grandeur of his many perfections.

You and I were created to give God glory. It’s how we best live life.

Glory can seem ethereal; out there in the heavens with no relevance to our daily lives. That is a futile way of thinking. Glory is very practical.  The transcendent God making Himself known in what we see around us. 

Creation is an obvious expression of God’s glory. Look around you.  Okay, I know, if you live in a place like Kansas you might not think glory is as evident, but it is!

God’s glory is evident in the people you know. 

On our recent trip to Malawi, we met amazing people from a culture foreign to us, but nonetheless as real, if not more. Their needs are basic; finding shelter and food. We in the West think a need is being deprived of a mocha latte at Starbucks! 

God’s glory is found in the richness of His Word to us. The Bible is the only book on the planet that has the supernatural endorsement of God Himself. He wants to speak to us, deep in our souls. There is an immense glory to be found in God’s Word.  If I read God’s Word as often as I ate food, what would my spiritual health be like?

Glory. Self-care, wearing nice clothing, and looking good are not glory-stealing unless it become the source of your identity.  And that is the crux of the issue with glory.

Stolen glory devalues your life. Glory rightly given to God raises your identity; you see God for who He is and you see yourself how God sees you.

It’s time to stop stealing God’s glory.

Jesus, restore your glory.

Warrior On!