As Believers, we are called to do all things to the glory of God. But what does this mean, and what does it look like in the life of a Christ follower?
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)
This has to be one of my favorite Bible verses. It speaks to the all-encompassing nature of our walk with the Lord.
Whatever you do – whatever it might be – do it ALL to His glory. When you eat, do it to His glory. When you walk, when you speak, when you work, when you play… do it all to His glory. There is nothing in our lives that should not come under the umbrella of giving glory to our God.
When we truly step back to think about it, I think we can all be at least a little wowed. Everything to God’s glory? Even the mundane stuff? Every single nitty-gritty detail?
It tears down this whole illusion that we should be “good on Sundays, then live like everyone else from Monday through Saturday.”
Many of us have this illusion. Many of us struggle with it.
I struggle with it.
I would daresay that this is our default mindset.
But such a mindset is destructive to our walk with Christ. This mindset – this idea that part of our life is “holy” and other parts are “not holy” – hurts our relationship with God. And it dampens our potential in Him.
All Parts of Life can be Holy
Work can be holy.
Family time can be holy.
Meal times can be holy.
Walking can be holy.
Sleeping can be holy.
What do I mean by “holy?”
What I mean is this: “holy” describes something that is set apart. Something that is sectioned off from ‘common things.’
In the days of the Old Testament, the Tabernacle contained something known as the Holy of Holies. It was a room in which the very Spirit of God Himself resided.
This room, the Holy of Holies, was the holiest place on earth.
It was set apart.
It was reserved entirely for God. The Holy of Holies was not used for anything except for the glory of our Lord. It was so set apart, in fact, that only one person – the Israelite high priest – was allowed to go into it. And even he was only allowed in once per year.
This is a picture of what true holiness looks like. When we think of the word “holy,” we often think of some inscrutable, unknowable, far-away perfection that gleams in the golden sunlight but is unattainable by human hands.
And that is simply not true.
When we are born again – that is, indwelt with the Holy Spirit – we ourselves are made holy. And we are called to live our lives as such.
Living Life to the Glory of God
Live in a holy manner.
This is the very idea that 1 Corinthians 10:31 is pointing at.
Since we have been redeemed to Christ – bought by His blood, and sanctified by His atoning sacrifice – we are “set apart” for Him. Scripture literally says that we were purchased by Christ (1 Corinthians 6:20). We were once like common clay pots at a market, but when Christ bought us, He transformed us into golden vases.
Once we’re bought by Christ, we are no longer living life for “ordinary” purposes.
We are called to live in a holy manner.
But what does this look like? It’s all fine and dandy that we can talk about holy living, but what does that look like?
Here is the root of it: do all for the glory of God!
You see, the Pharisees thought they were living holy lives. You can practically see them floating on little puffy clouds, their feet six inches off the ground. They said the right words, did the right things, and prayed the “right” prayers.
Yet God was not honored in them. Why? Because the object of their life was NOT Him.
To live in a holy manner, what we must do is this: set the Lord as our object of life, affection, and worship.
Only when He occupies the highest seat in our hearts and minds can we truly carry out the command we find in 1 Corinthians 10:31.
That’s Great! So how do We do That?
The truth is, there is no hard and fast rule to living a holy life. There’s no procedure to follow. There is no set of prayers to pray each morning; there is no checklist of righteous deeds or quota of Scripture reading.
These things all represent legalism – the very thing the Pharisees were most guilty of. Legalism is man’s attempt to please God in his own strength, and it never works. Legalism ultimately results in that very same attitude of “I’ll do good on Sunday, then live secretly like the world the other six days of the week.”
Legalism always fails. But Christ never fails.
Instead of legalism and rote external obedience (which always ends in failure and sin), we must actively work to shape our minds and hearts. As the old hymn goes, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus.” That’s an active turning. It’s an active choice.
There is work for us to do in this great goal of doing all for God’s glory, but it’s the work of resting in Him.
It’s the work of bringing our inner being – that is, our thoughts and feelings and beliefs – under the reign of Christ. You see, holiness does not begin with duty and obedience. Holiness begins with a heart that is focused upon Jesus.
When you get your heart right, the actions follow. When you get your thoughts right, the words and deeds will follow.
It’s like steering a boat. If you want your boat to go in a certain direction, you need to turn the rudder the correct way.
That little rudder – that small piece of metal – affects the course of the entire boat.
Legalism can be likened to pushing against the inside walls of the boat to try and steer it. Getting your heart right before God is like going to the wheel and adjusting the rudder.
That’s a huge difference.
In our own walks with the Lord, it is most helpful to simply sit before Him (perhaps block out some time each day) and ask Him to fill our hearts and align our thoughts with His will. When we come empty-handed, without any self-determination, the Lord will work with our inner being.
But we have to come empty-handed. We have to come with a willing heart. This is the work of obeying the Lord, and it’s far harder than completing a checklist. It’s difficult. At times, it is painful. It requires us to lay down our defenses and our pride and simply submit to Him.
That is hard work.
But it’s also rewarding.
Living to the Glory of God – a Conclusion
To live to God’s glory, we must have our hearts right. When we read “…do all to the glory of God,” we’re reading a command that can only be carried out by someone who has willingly submitted to the Lord.
Once you submit to Christ – and I mean truly, fully submit – you will find it natural to consecrate everything to Him.
When you wake up and get ready, you’re doing it to His glory. When you work, you’re doing it for Him. When you come home and spend time with your family, you’re ultimately doing it for Him.
You see, the command in 1 Corinthians 10:31 is ultimately a plea to get our hearts and minds right. It’s a plea to adjust the rudders of our lives in a direction that leads to Christ. It’s a plea to holy living and righteous actions, and it’s also a plea to accomplish these things not by our strength, but by drawing on the strength of our God.
It is a plea to do away with legalism and do away with the “splitting” of our lives into holy and common parts.
Now that we are children of God, we are made holy. Now that we’ve been bought by His blood and brought under His shepherding care, we’re to live lives that literally “ooze” the loving and holy mindset of God.
Ultimately, we must devote ourselves fully to Christ. We must actively turn to Him and cast our thoughts, feelings, and affections upon Him. As we do so – as we turn to Christ in our inner being – we will then find our outer lives naturally following along.
God bless.