Be Glorified

"Jesus replied, ' If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing.'"
John 8:54a

I find the words 'glory' or 'glorify' to be interesting. As Christians, we say these words all the time, but I wonder if we have really given thought to what they mean. To glorify means: To magnify, extol. or praise. To elevate to celestial glory. To cause to be better than the normal condition. Both the Greek word and the English translation of the word are similar in definition. Now that we understand the meaning of the word, let's take a look at the scripture referenced above.
    Bringing glory to one's self does nothing. Another word for this act could be 'pride.' It is a self-centered person who bestows greatness on themselves. Jesus, while in the world, knew that he could not bring glory to himself. If he spoke on his own, he would be no better than a thousand who had come before him claiming to be someone great. Thousands more have come since he lived, claiming to be great, glorifying themselves. In the end, they amount to nothing and their deeds are pointless. If you read on in John 8, you will see that Jesus said it was his Father that brought glory to him. There was a weighty witness to his life and the things he did. God himself sent him and brought him glory.
    There are others who bring glory to Jesus. We do. In the days of Jesus, very few glorified him. In other words, few were willing to accept the fact that he was not part of the normal circumstance, he was greater. In fact, he was God...fully God. Even his own disciples often questioned him. They did not understand who he was or the authority he had among them. The Pharisees claimed Jesus glorified himself by the things he said. But Jesus made it clear that he only spoke what our Heavenly Father spoke to him. Today, we are the ones who should glorify Jesus. He is not part of the old status quo. He is not a product of natural circumstance. He is God...fully God. It is incumbent on us to elevate him to that position in our own hearts. Then we will access the incredible miracles he has in store for us.
    We know that God is all powerful. If he chose to control our lives as uif we were puppets on a string, he could. He has the right. After all, he created us and everything we know. But he chooses to not exercise control over us. He gave us free will because he knows that glorifying himself means nothing. When we glorify God, he is glorified. His name is exalted, his acts are praised, and his character honored. How will others come to know the glorified God? They will come by seeing us glorifying Him. As Jesus said about those who were crying out, "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord," "I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." God deserves to be glorified and you and I are the ones who must do it. Let us say of the Lord, BE GLORIFIED!