Today I was cleaning my apartment. I love cleaning days. I almost never have them, but I enjoy them. Cleaning the outside of my life inspires a conversation with God and can be such a reflection of the inside of me. As you may know, I tend to hang signs around my house, er, living space. I moved some furniture this afternoon and found a sign to remind me of a special time in my life. The reminder of the time made me smile, but the message of the sign changed my day.
It asked a simple question. Then it gave me a solid argument for how I should answer the question. “His glory or your glory? Yours will die.” I lived a few years of my life trying so hard to make my own name great. When God asked me last March to quit my job, I struggled for several months afterwards to not run into the arms of another career in one last attempt to “make a name for myself” like in the tower of Babel story. There is nothing wrong with a career. There was just something wrong with why I wanted to go back to one. I just wanted to be someone. I just wanted to make something of myself. I just wanted a fancy title. I wanted control, and I wanted power.
So I hung the sign on my wall. Right in front of where I used to write. It was a much needed reminder to follow Him where He was leading me. Whether I wanted to live for something that would die shortly or live for something that would last forever.
Today the sign carried the same message; the application varied slightly. Today it was about people-pleasing and my image. The never-ending question in my head, “What will people say?” When I let that question rule my life, I am living for my glory. People-pleasing yields such fleeting glory because people change their minds all the time. Ultimately what pleases them today makes them scorn me tomorrow.
I never thought of people-pleasing as living for my own glory before. It was a good day. I think I will live for His glory every time I can possibly remember to live completely for Him. Pleasing people has such short term payoff.
The bounce back from last night? Well, today I still feel humbled. I have been so busy celebrating where I have come that I have failed to notice where I am at. It is important that I notice where I have come. It is one of the ways CR teaches to keep life balanced. (They realize after step 4, one has figured out the “there is no good thing” thing.) Celebrate your growth. All the time. No matter how small it may seem. Celebrate. Celebrate. Celebrate. So I am glad I am where I am, but there sure is room for improvement!
For am I now trying to win the favor of people, or God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ. – Galatians 1:10
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