How do you Give glory to God?

“Give glory to God” was an oath to give one’s loyalty and allegiance to a god or a king or a military commander—in this case, God. This was also a confessional formula used by the early Church to show one’s commitment to God and not to the old ways of the Law. Additionally, it was a statement used to proclaim one’s truthfulness in his/her testimony (Jer. 7:19). Jesus healed this man who was blind. Now, this man’s faith moved from being curious and exited that he was healed to the realization of the Lordship of Christ and the One True God in whom he could put his faith.

This man needed more information for His salvation, to understand who Jesus was. Just as we grow in the Lord, we need more information to add to the practice of our faith. When Jesus gave it to him, this man gave Jesus the reverence due only to God, another proof of the Divinity of Jesus.

Real worship allows us to grow beyond our “why me’s” into what Christ wants of us!

The interrogators, (the Pharisees) were experts in the Law and held the power to improve or ruin a person’s life out of spite just to make a point. This event may have even convened in a court of law and not in the streets as did previous encounters with Christ and His followers. Many of John’s readers and parishioners were in courts being kicked out of the synagogue, and facing what this man and his parents as well as Jesus faced. It must have been of a great comfort to realize that they were not in it alone, that the God of the universe was also there in their midst. Also, this was a call to remain faithful and obedient in times of stress and uncertainty, no matter what.

What we do with what we are given will either glorify God and display His work in us or make us bitter and dysfunctional. To display God’s work is an attitude of our heart, taking a setback and using it as an opportunity to learn and grow. To see trials not as personal attacks, but rather opportunities to be refined is to grow and to be better. This is the essence and fragrance God desires from us. We can trust God, because He is good and will take our failings and pain and mold them for His glory and our benefit, whether he heals us or not (Rom. 8).

Questions to Ponder

1. How and why do some people choose to remain in stubborn irrationalities, dishonesty, and pride? What can be done to help such a person sincerely seek, ask the questions, and have the willingness to obey?

2. Next time you are at your church’s service, how can you better engage in real worship and allow yourself to grow beyond your blind spots into what Christ wants of you?

3. What do you need to do to escape the darkness of what holds you back—your sins or frustrations or fears or misguided beliefs?

4. What is real faith to you? What can you do to help your faith become more alive? How do your ideas or presumptions get in the way of His Way? What do you need to do to surrender to His True principles and Work?


More here:

http://www.intothyword.org/apps/articles/default.asp?articleid=64808&columnid=3803