ODB: glory deflectors
January 16, 2010
Man’s greatest goal: Bringing glory to God.
READ: Acts 14:8-18
I will not give My glory to another. —Isaiah 48:11
Barbara Mertz has a complaint about Egypt’s Pharaoh Ramses II. In her book Temples, Tombs, and Hieroglyphs, archaeologist Mertz writes, “One gets so tired of Ramses; his face, his figure, and/or his name are plastered over half the wall surfaces still standing in Egypt—at least it seems that way.” Insatiably thirsty for glory, Ramses reveled in Egyptian religion, which taught that the pharaoh was divine.
Contrast Ramses’ desire for glory with the attitude of Paul and Barnabas. On one of their missionary journeys, they faced a situation during which they refused to accept vainglory. When a crowd in the idolatrous city of Lystra saw them heal a crippled man, the people exclaimed, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” (Acts 14:11). They immediately prepared animals to sacrifice in honor of Paul and Barnabas. But the two quickly objected, saying, “We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God” (v.15).
We do not rival the apostles in our accomplishments for God, but we all have things we do for Him. It’s then that we must be “glory deflectors,” making sure God gets all the glory for everything we have done. — Dennis Fisher
Source: Our Daily Bread
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We are born to be a good “Glory Deflectors” and aim it to our God. As Ephesus 2:10 says: We have been “created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Now we are know that there are some areas that we can glorify Him more effectively, more powerful and give more impact to others. In other words, there are some areas we can be a more effective “glory deflector.” Most people tries to find these area for years and not few has just found “their area” in old age. Imagine if we can realized “our areas” sooner, When we are in our youth for instance. We surely will develop whatever skills we need to be a more effective glory deflector.
For example, If we know that we are good in speaking and expressing an idea with words, we will develop our communication skill since we are young. Then as we grow up we can enroll in a seminary and be a very powerful preacher; and because speaking is “the area that God has prepared in advance for us to do” we will have great pleasure and feel complete in doing it.
For this reason, I think, knowing ourself in the way God sees us is a serious and crucial task for all of us.