God's Glory

Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man...who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. Rom. 1:22,23,25.

This scripture verse came to mind as I've been pondering the Glory of God.  The Glory of God has always been so ethereal and untouchable or unknowable in the past, but I believe He is letting me see glimpses of it. Here is what He is showing me.

God has given everything it's own glory. Mankind, animals, plants, even rocks have their own kind of glory.  Since I've always been a lover of beauty, I have appreciated nature's beauty.  Sam and I even have a bowl of found objects, all kinds of rocks, shells, sea glass, wood and what ever else we find beautiful on our adventures. Many people have asked why we have rocks in a bowl, not understanding what we see in them, but we love them for their innate charm. Am I seeing people the same way? Can I see me the same way I see rocks and sticks?  The answer until now has been "no".  I've always thought that everyone needed to conform to what I see as "beauty" or "glory".  That girl's tattooed arm; pink hair; piercings; different taste in home decor (formerly read as bad taste). You name it, I thought the person should change their hair, home, clothes, etc., to come up to the highest beauty they could have. Which of course, I could help them with since I have the knowledge of "true" beauty.  Ha! What I have been trying (and many times succeeding at) is to change the "truth or Glory of God", which in this instance is the person's innate beauty, for a lie, or for the glory of man.  What God has made them to be I wanted to change for what I thought they should be.

What about myself?  What am I doing to me? Am I trying to make myself into something or someone that conforms to what man's glory is instead of being thankful and appreciative of who He, the Almighty Creator of the Universe, made me to be?  Who knows best? Ummmm....God maybe?

I try to make myself more disciplined, thinner, younger, diligent, you name it.  I am not embracing the glory that God gave me.  I know that many people will not understand or agree with me.  Those who are of a disciplined personality, who have that as their innate glory, will say "you should strive to be more disciplined" and quote a scripture that backs up their opinion. We all do it.

My "glory", if you will, is that I am a person who enjoys "more". I mean, I enjoy more food, more rocks, more jewelry, more gadgets, more art, just more. Therefore, I have "more" body, more clutter than I think (and many others think) I should have. Then there is my sister-in-law, her "glory" is enjoying what she can have "less" of,  or "simplicity". Less food, less clothes, less clutter, etc. I have always appreciated her order, but thought she needed to want "more"!  Why? I thought her God given glory should be the same as mine. But she doesn't enjoy "more", she finds her joy in simplicity or "less"!  I am tired of thinking I know what others (and myself) should be like, and not taking into account what the creative God has made them (and me) to be!  I've wanted to trade the glory that God has given them for my own glory that God has revealed to and through me!  

Sam and I were sitting on the beach enjoying the waves and people.  A young girl with unnaturally purple-red hair ran by. Sam asked me if I liked the color of her hair, and I, the all-knowing sage of what things should be like, said " I like the color, but not for hair".  Why? It was a beautiful color! Can't I just appreciate things and people as they are without trying to change them?  Sigh...I'm working on it!

The point of this whole thing is: God has given everything and everyone their own glory. I want to see and appreciate it, to find joy in it.  Only then can I truly see the Glory of God, since He is to be found in everything He has created.  He leaves a bit of Himself in all creation and says "it is good".

Genesis 1:31 - Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.

Grace, I'll Take it!!

The Grace of God.  What do I believe about the Grace of God? I believe it is all I need, that it draws me into Jesus, the one who paid a high price for this grace.  Will I treat it cheaply by trying to earn it? By thinking that I can add something by my actions?  That is what I always did (hopefully in the past), believing that Christ required some response other than acceptance of His gift with thanksgiving.
The Gospel (Good News) of Christ is simple: Believe in the one whom was sent from God (Christ Jesus), and love.  That's it.  Christ has done EVERYTHING else.  No need to strive to become holy, righteous, forgiven, etc.  All of that was accomplished on the cross, His death did what we could and can never do, which is become righteous.  Only IN Christ are we righteous. Do you realize that when the Father looks at us He sees Christ? We are hidden in Christ -

Col. 3:3 - For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

He doesn't see any of what we see, He sees Christ...think about that.

Psalm 103:12 - As far as the east is from the west, [So] far has He removed our transgressions from us. 

Hebrews 10:17 - ... Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more. 

If we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that no amount of trying has changed our behavior, at least not for long.  What if God truly meant what He said through Paul:

Romans 8:2 - For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 

I am FREE from sin through Christ!!! Hallelujah!  

What is "sin"?  The Greek word for sin is hamartia, of which one of the meanings is "to be without a share in".  So because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, I have gone from "being without a share in God" to
becoming the "righteousness of God" - 

2 Corinthians 5:21 - For He made Him who knew no sin [to be] sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

WOW!!!  I'll take it!  Will you?