Glory to God in the highest the angels said to ordinary shepherds when Jesus came. And we say those words again every year when Christmas comes. In songs. On cards. In sermons. When we read the Christmas story to our children. But what do those words really mean? What brings God glory in the highest? That baby in a manger grew up and one day someone asked him a similar question: “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” {Mark 12:28}. “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” {Mark 2:29-30} Love is what matters most to God. And when Jesus came to earth, He was the embodiment of love. So “Glory to God in the highest” was the perfect way to begin His birth announcement. We tend to make “bringing glory to God” something mysterious and complicated. We think we have to move across the world and become a missionary. Or have flawless, smiling faces that never show how broken we are inside. Or perfectly meet a set of spiritual standards some spiritual authority has handed to us along with heavy guilt. In other words, we mistakenly believe this: I have to bring God glory. But here’s the wonderful truth and the whole hope of Christmas: God brought His glory to us. “For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” {John 3:16} Love was placed inside a manger and now lives inside of us. Our part is simple sharing what we’ve received. “We love because He first loved us” {1 John 4:19}. Do you want to bring glory to God? Then simply let Jesus share His love through you. Every day, wherever you are, however you can. Love brings God glory. And when we love, we declare with our lives what the angels did with their lips: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” {Luke 2:14}
Posted on: Sun, 21 Dec 2014 14:26:22 +0000