God Within Us: Expressing Jesus, Listening to the Spirit, and Revealing the Father's Glory.预览

I believe that we can only know about God what He chooses to reveal about Himself. This is why some theologians refer to Him as "the totally other," emphasizing that the God of the Bible is not merely a creation of our imagination or fears, but rather a being who reveals Himself to humanity.

What can Jesus teach us about the glory of the Father, and what practical implications can we draw for our lives? First and foremost, the glory of God is not synonymous with "glamour" or comfort. Jesus glorified the Father by dying on the cross. When Jesus told Peter about his future, John recorded, "He told him this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God." The glory of God differs significantly from the glory that people often associate with status or success. Understanding this distinction helps us avoid messages that appeal to greed, suggesting that glory equates to a life free of struggles or solely focused on material abundance.

Next, let's explore three reflections that can help us glorify God in our daily lives.

The first point is that we find God's glory in the presence of the Father. Jesus experienced this glory with the Father before the world was created. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul states that, because of our union with Christ, we are already seated in heavenly places. Through prayer, we can be on earth while also being at the foot of God's glorious throne, where we can receive what He wants to give us in order to fulfill His will on earth. By offering a prayer of worship and obedience, we are giving glory to God.

This brings us to the second reflection: God entrusts us with responsibilities on earth so that we might shine His glory. Jesus said that He received people from the Father, and His purpose was for them to believe and understand that everything comes from God. In Christian contexts, we often say that we are merely stewards of the gifts God gives us, and this is true. However, are we truly aware of the lives we influence, showing them that it is not about us? This is another way of giving glory to God.

Finally, we glorify God when we bear fruit in others as a natural result of being united with Him. We should desire to give everything we have in our hearts and die empty. In doing so, we can express ourselves by giving to others. When a person gives of themselves out of love, in God's name and according to their calling and purpose, they not only feel truly alive but also bring glory to their Creator. When God is our priority, pursuing our purpose on earth will lead to our happiness and honor God.