It was a blustery cold night for a track meet last night but Brenda and the three younger boys and I drove twenty miles to Denver City for Taylor’s first track meet since moving to Seminole. We have often talked about him praying and asking Jesus for help no matter what sport he or his brothers are playing. In our house if you play a sport you play for Jesus or you don’t play. It is not about us but all about Him.
I was proud when he told me he gathered the 1600 meter relay team to pray together before the last race of the evening. He ran the first leg of the race and came in first despite the brisk temperatures and the stiff headwind coming down the homestretch. I am proud of his performance but more proud that he runs for Jesus.
Isn’t that what life is all about? No matter what we do are we not supposed to do things for Jesus to bring glory to Him? Scripture challenges us on this point. “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” [I Cor 10:31] I have a friend who makes buckles, spurs, and jewelry and this is the verse he puts on his business cards. When he is building his products he does so for the glory of God just like Taylor runs for the glory of God. I have been reading a book for the third time about the life of A.W. Tozer. When Tozer wrote or preached he did it for the glory of God. The crowds flocked to hear him preach and raved about his sermons but he deflected that praise back to God. He labored over his sermon offerings and prayerfully presented them to the Lord in order to give God His absolute best. God has chosen to preserve some of those messages for us in the form of books and I have one audio recording of a sermon series he preached. His labors of love have outlived Him because they were bathed in prayer and offered for the glory of God. There are plenteous sermons and sermonizers who do it for the glory of themselves. Heaven will test the quality of each man’s work. [I Cor 3:10-15]
Paul reminds us to everything for Jesus in [Col 3:17] “And whatever you do in the word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” That means as I write this I must do so for the glory of Jesus and not in hopes that people will pat me on the back or applaud a job well done. When I mow my lawn later this weekend I must do it for the glory of God and do it with excellence. When I preach on Sunday I need do it in the name of Jesus for His honor and not to hear praise from people.
My boys are active in children’s sports. Brenda have spent a lot of hours in basketball gyms, bleachers at football stadiums, and at baseball fields. We have seen very few children or parents who play for the glory of God. We all want our children to be successful or to play to have fun but what about glorifying God with our children and their sports, piano recitals, as well as choir and band efforts. At a young age we need to teach them that life is not about them but rather about the glory of God being promoted. When God blesses and enables them to succeed they should be quick to point people to Jesus from the platform they have been given. Do they see that attitude modeled in us?
One way we as adults can do this is to set that example ourselves. Do we constantly deflect the praise of people to the Lord? Truth is, we like the attention and the praise. Do we cook, clean, mow, work, study, serve, give, play, recreate, and live for the glory of God. It is a shallow and fleeting thing to live for the glory of our selves. Don’t believe me. Let me throw out a couple of names and you can see. Marilynn Monroe. I was flipping through the television channels the other night and came across a movie with her in it. It was an old black and white movie pretty shabbily made. There are no indications that I have read that she lived her life for the glory of God. I even read one story where she rejected the message of God’s love and forgiveness. Now, she is gone. Yes, there are a few movies left behind and some photographs but what did she send ahead for eternity? What about John Wayne? I read a book about his life once and he commented that he had no need for Jesus. He too left some movies behind but what did he do that will last for eternity. Their fame was fleeting. They are no longer headline news anymore and most of their movies are seldom showed anymore.
It is time to call this mad and self-centered world back to reality. We were created to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. That means that there must be a comprehensive change in our focus and our priorities. I contrast Marilynn Monroe and John Wayne with Tim Tebow and Colt McCoy who both played college football unashamedly for the glory of God. Tebow and McCoy used their influence to point fans to a greater reality than themselves; namely Jesus Christ.
I was also proud last night because Taylor had his best meet ever throwing the shot put. He threw further than he has ever thrown and won first place. He told me all night people were coming up to him from other schools calling him a beast or Hercules. He would tell them that he was no Hercules. He commented that he worked hard and trusted God to help him. He threw for the glory of God.
If a fourteen-year old athlete can get his mind wrapped around that truth I know we as adults can do the same. When the watching crowds comment on the success of our businesses, farms, careers, or even our children we MUST give God the credit and the glory. As God grows this church and saves people I give God the glory.
Let me close with this. A few weeks ago I got an email from someone in the church. The last line simply said, “You are awesome.” I immediately replied by saying, “I am not awesome. I serve an awesome God who has and continues to do an awesome work in me and who chooses to use me in awesome ways. He is awesome and I am just His servant.” Like John the Baptist said, “He must increase and I must decrease.” [Jn 3:30] Thank you Taylor and John the Baptist for reminding us to live and run for the glory of God.
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