Day8: The Reason for Everything
The Reason for Everything
Everything comes from God alone.
Everything lives by his power,
and everything is for his glory.
Romans 11:36 (LB)
The Lord has made everything
for his own purposes.
Proverbs 16:4 (NLT)
It’s all for him.
The ultimate goal of the universe is to show the glory of God.
It is the reason for everything that exists, including you. God
made it all for his glory. Without God’s glory, there would be
nothing.
What is the glory of God? It is who God is. It is the essence of
his nature, the weight of his importance, the radiance of his
splendor, the demonstration of his power, and the atmosphere of
his presence. God’s glory is the expression of his goodness and all
his other intrinsic, eternal qualities.
Where is the glory of God? Just look around. Everything
created by God reflects his glory in some way. We see it
everywhere, from the smallest microscopic form of life to the
vast Milky Way, from sunsets and stars to storms and seasons.
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Creation reveals our Creator’s glory. In nature we learn that God
is powerful, that he enjoys variety, loves beauty, is organized, and
is wise and creative. The Bible says, “The heavens declare the glory
of God.” 1
Throughout history, God has revealed his glory to people in
different settings. He revealed it first in the Garden of Eden, then
to Moses, then in the tabernacle
and the temple, then through Jesus,
and now through the church.2 It
was portrayed as a consuming fire, a
cloud, thunder, smoke, and a
brilliant light.3 In heaven, God’s
glory provides all the light needed.
The Bible says, “The city does not
need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it
light.” 4
God’s glory is best seen in Jesus Christ. He, the Light of the
world, illuminates God’s nature. Because of Jesus, we are no
longer in the dark about what God is really like. The Bible says,
“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory.” 5 Jesus came to earth so
we could fully understand God’s glory. “The Word became human
and lived among us. We saw his glory . . . a glory full of grace and
truth.” 6
God’s inherent glory is what he possesses because he is God. It
is his nature. We cannot add anything to this glory, just as it
would be impossible for us to make the sun shine brighter. But
we are commanded to recognize his glory, honor his glory, declare
his glory, praise his glory, reflect his glory, and live for his glory.7
Why? Because God deserves it! We owe him every honor we can
possibly give. Since God made all things, he deserves all the glory.
The Bible says, “You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory
and honor and power. For you created everything.” 8
In the entire universe, only two of God’s creations fail to bring
glory to him: fallen angels (demons) and us (people). All sin, at its
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Living for God’s glory is the
greatest achievement we can
accomplish with our lives.
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root, is failing to give God glory. It is loving anything else more
than God. Refusing to bring glory to God is prideful rebellion,
and it is the sin that caused Satan’s fall—and ours, too. In
different ways we have all lived for our own glory, not God’s. The
Bible says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” 9
None of us have given God the full glory he deserves from our
lives. This is the worst sin and the biggest mistake we can make.
On the other hand, living for God’s glory is the greatest
achievement we can accomplish with our lives. God says, “They
are my own people, and I created them to bring me glory,” 10 so it
ought to be the supreme goal of our lives.
How Can I Bring Glory to God?
Jesus told the Father, “I brought glory to you here on earth by
doing everything you told me to do.” 11 Jesus honored God by
fulfilling his purpose on earth. We honor God the same way.
When anything in creation fulfills its purpose, it brings glory to
God. Birds bring glory to God by flying, chirping, nesting, and
doing other bird-like activities that God intended. Even the lowly
ant brings glory to God when it
fulfills the purpose it was created
for. God made ants to be ants, and
he made you to be you. St. Irenaeus
said, “The glory of God is a human
being fully alive!”
There are many ways to bring
glory to God, but they can be
summarized in God’s five purposes for your life. We will spend the
rest of this book looking at them in detail, but here is an overview:
We bring God glory by worshiping him. Worship is our first
responsibility to God. We worship God by enjoying him. C. S.
Lewis said, “In commanding us to glorify him, God is inviting us
to enjoy him.” God wants our worship to be motivated by love,
thanksgiving, and delight, not duty.
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When anything in creation
fulfills its purpose,
it brings glory to God.
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John Piper notes, “God is most glorified in us when we are
most satisfied in him.”
Worship is far more than praising, singing, and praying to God.
Worship is a lifestyle of enjoying God, loving him, and giving
ourselves to be used for his purposes. When you use your life for
God’s glory, everything you do can become an act of worship.
The Bible says, “Use your whole body as a tool to do what is right for
the glory of God.” 12
We bring God glory by loving other believers. When you
were born again, you became a part of God’s family. Following
Christ is not just a matter of believing; it also includes belonging
and learning to love the family of God. John
wrote, “Our love for each other proves that we
have gone from death to life.” 13 Paul said, “Accept
each other just as Christ has accepted you; then
God will be glorified.” 14
It is your responsibility to learn how to love as
God does, because God is love, and it honors
him. Jesus said, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one
another.” 15
We bring God glory by becoming like Christ. Once we are
born into God’s family, he wants us to grow to spiritual maturity.
What does that look like? Spiritual maturity is becoming like Jesus
in the way we think, feel, and act. The more you develop
Christlike character, the more you will bring glory to God. The
Bible says, “As the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become
more and more like him and reflect his glory even more.” 16
God gave you a new life and a new nature when you accepted
Christ. Now, for the rest of your life on earth, God wants to
continue the process of changing your character. The Bible says,
“May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—those
good things that are produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this
will bring much glory and praise to God.” 17
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DAY SEVEN:
THE REASON
FOR
EVERYTHING
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We bring God glory by serving others with our gifts. Each
of us was uniquely designed by God with talents, gifts, skills, and
abilities. The way you’re “wired” is not an accident. God didn’t
give you your abilities for selfish purposes. They were given to
benefit others, just as others were given abilities for your benefit.
The Bible says, “God has given gifts to each of you from his great
variety of spiritual gifts. Manage them well so that God’s generosity
can flow through you. . . . Are you called to help others? Do it with all
the strength and energy that God supplies. Then God will be given
glory.” 18
We bring God glory by telling others about him. God
doesn’t want his love and purposes kept a secret. Once we know
the truth, he expects us to share it with others. This is a great
privilege—introducing others to Jesus, helping them discover
their purpose, and preparing them for their eternal destiny. The
Bible says, “As God’s grace brings more and more people to
Christ, . . . God will receive more and more glory.” 19
What Will You Live for?
Living the rest of your life for the glory of God will require a
change in your priorities, your schedule, your relationships, and
everything else. It will sometimes mean choosing a difficult path
instead of an easy one. Even Jesus struggled with this. Knowing
he was about to be crucified, he cried out: “My soul has become
troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But
for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify
Thy name.” 20
Jesus stood at a fork in the road. Would
he fulfill his purpose and bring glory to
God, or would he shrink back and live a
comfortable, self-centered life? You face the
same choice. Will you live for your own goals,
comfort, and pleasure, or will you live the rest of your life for
God’s glory, knowing that he has promised eternal rewards? The
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Bible says, “Anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that
life. But if you let it go, . . . you’ll have it forever, real and
eternal.” 21
It’s time to settle this issue. Who are you going to live for—
yourself or God? You may hesitate, wondering whether you will
have strength to live for God. Don’t worry. God will give you
what you need if you will just make the choice to live for him.
The Bible says, “Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has
been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and
intimately, the One who invited us to God.” 22
Right now, God is inviting you to live for his glory by fulfilling
the purposes he made you for. It’s really the only way to live.
Everything else is just existing. Real life begins by committing
yourself completely to Jesus Christ. If you are not sure you have
done this, all you need to do is receive and believe. The Bible
promises, “To all who received him, to those who believed in his
name, he gave the right to become children of God.” 23 Will you
accept God’s offer?
First, believe. Believe God loves you and made you for his
purposes. Believe you’re not an accident. Believe you were made
to last forever. Believe God has
chosen you to have a relationship
with Jesus, who died on the cross
for you. Believe that no matter
what you’ve done, God wants to
forgive you.
Second, receive. Receive Jesus
into your life as your Lord and Savior. Receive his forgiveness for
your sins. Receive his Spirit, who will give you the power to fulfill
your life purpose. The Bible says, “Whoever accepts and trusts the
Son gets in on everything, life complete and forever!” 24 Wherever
you are reading this, I invite you to bow your head and quietly
whisper the prayer that will change your eternity: “Jesus, I believe
in you and I receive you.” Go ahead.
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Jesus will give you everything
you need to live for him.
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If you sincerely meant that prayer, congratulations! Welcome to
the family of God! You are now ready to discover and start living
God’s purpose for your life. I urge you to tell someone about it.
will send you a little booklet I wrote called Your First Steps for
Spiritual Growth.
Day Seven
Thinking about My Purpose
Point to Ponder: It’s all for him.
Verse to Remember: “For everything comes from God
alone. Everything lives by his power, and everything is for
his glory.” Romans 11:36 (LB)
Question to Consider: Where in my daily routine can I
become more aware of God’s glory?
You’re going to need support. If you email me (see appendix 2), I
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YOU WERE PLANNED
FOR GOD’S PLEASURE
For God has planted them like strong
and graceful oaks for his own glory.
Isaiah 61:3 (LB)
P U R P O S E # 1
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Sri Satguru Jagjit Singh Ji eLibrary NamdhariElibrary@gmail.com
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