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View Poll Results: Big Deal.. so I added a poll. I glorify God x% of the time
10% 3 60.00%
20% 0 0%
30% 0 0%
40% 0 0%
50% 0 0%
60% 0 0%
70% 0 0%
80% 1 20.00%
90% 0 0%
100% 1 20.00%
Voters: 5. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 06-20-2008, 03:34 PM
 
3,086 posts, read 6,252,087 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bigthirsty View Post
Yes.. I know my posts are weird.. I think in absolutes too often.
While we're talking about absolutes:
Matt 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
We can only serve one master. If we're serving God, we're glorifying Him.. and vise versa: If we're glorifying God, we're serving Him. On the other side of the coin, if we're serving self, we're not glorifying God.. and so if we're not glorifying God, we're probably serving self.

It's good to think in absolutes every once in a while.

Of course, none of us is perfect.. we all have instances every day in which we look back and say, man, I sure didn't glorify God in that instance. But our life should be such that it brings glory to God. And we can do this by simply loving and serving Him.
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Old 06-20-2008, 04:41 PM
 
2,017 posts, read 5,078,289 times
Reputation: 1352
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigthirsty View Post
Ok.. Lets talk real life and strip down everything else.

You get up in the morning.. take a shower.. and do what to glorify God while in the shower?
Glorifying God isn't only done by doing big things like being a missionary or feeding the homeless. God is glorified when His children are mindful of Him in the little things, too.

In the case of taking a shower, I often use that time to recite scriptures that I'm trying to memorize. Other times I will pray or even sing praises. These things glorify God. I "redeem the time" (as the Bible says) so that I'm not just mindlessly doing something. The more time you spend with God, in prayer, in His word and meditating on scriptures, the more your mind is stayed on Him and you think about and regard Him during the rest of the day.

Quote:
Don't make me use a different bathroom example! I'm trying my best to stay away from that.
Even in this case, it's possible. I was deathly ill at one point. (Literally) I couldn't perform these functions at all. I often remember that and am thankful that I not only came through that time, but can do these things normally now. In this case it's an attitude of thankfulness and remembering God's faithfulness.

Another example of this is that I give thanks, silently mostly, but sometimes openly, for every glass of water I drink. During my illness, I couldn't swallow a thing and I would have sold any part of my body for a drink of water. I NEVER take water for granted.

Quote:
I guess I'm trying to get to.. how do you do it now? No fakeness.. no "I glorify God everyday in everything I do". I mean fakeness in that I think we sometimes exaggerate our daily lives on this board..

Or are you saying you can glorify God in everything you do .. but you just don't?
I agree with you. I hate fakeness. I don't have time for it. It takes too much energy and it doesn't help anyone. A Christian man, I forget who, once said, "Your best friend is the one who tells you the most truth." I agree. Any exaggerations people make, they will be accountable for. Me included. We are held responsible for every idle word and every lie.

Yes, I'm saying that we CAN glorify God in EVERYTHING we do, but many people just don't. Me, included. My goal is to go through just one day where my thoughts are always on Him. That's not easy. I believe God understands that and doesn't necessarily require that of us. It's not a duty to be performed. God's looking for our heart's attitude.

He enjoys being remembered throughout the day. He likes being part of our day and included in the things we do. Because of that, I try to do that. And I also pray that if I go too long without remembering, or acknowledging Him, that the Holy Spirit would nudge me back. And He does.

[quote]I'll be honest here.. I don't. I take a shower.. get dressed.. I'm trying to help my wife in the morning before I get out the door (i do a poor job there everyday).. I get home.. help cook dinner.. sometimes help wash dishes (I do an even worse job there).. and then put my child to bed.[quote]
It sounds like you're glorifying God in some of these areas to me. When you do help your wife in the mornings and help with dinner and cleaning up afterwards and putting your child to bed, that glorifies God because husbands are commanded to love their wives as Christ loves the church. I think that's part of doing that. Obedience to the Word glorifies God, too.

To do the things I mentioned above (like showering and drinking a glass of water) takes practice and persistence. It doesn't happen overnight but it will happen when we ask for God's help and keep at it. As I said, those aren't the only ways to glorify God. It's just one way we can do it.

A huge help to me in doing this was a very small book called The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence. Very small, very easy to read and very powerful. I don't recommend books lightly but I think every Christian would benefit from reading this book!

Quote:
Oh.. and forget about those 50-60 hour work weeks..
Yes, this is very difficult. Especially on families. I don't know how you do it. I chose to remain single because I believe I was called to be single. I think being married and having children is one of the hardest jobs there is today, especially with the world influence the way it is.

Quote:
I don't have time to stop and think about whether or not what I do glorifies God. That may sound crass (sp?) but thats the truth.
As I said, I don't think God requires our every thought to be about Him. But, I do think we all do have a choice to just stop, for even two seconds, and acknowledge Him throughout the day. If something you're doing is difficult, it takes very little to pause and say, "Help me with this Jesus. I need your strength/wisdom to do it." That's all. You don't even have to close your eyes, kneel down, fold your hands or anything formal like that. It's a simple, mental acknowledgement. And when a person begins to do this, it increases to more and more times throughout the day and becomes not only easier, but something you look forward to doing.

Quote:
Sometimes when I see people post on this board I think... "Wow.. I've found the most perfect Christians ever. Everyone seems to do everything right or at least seems to tell everyone how to do everything just right"
That's the nature of the internet. Many people are addicted to the anonymity. Nobody can "prove" we aren't doing these things. The thing is, we're not even fooling ourselves when we talk like that.

Allow me to be the first to say, with every ounce of honesty and sincerity I can muster, I am the farthest person from perfect that I know. I'm not being falsely humble. It's not humility at all, it's just honesty. When others show me I am wrong, I am so grateful that they did! I'm not too proud to apologize or receive correction because I need it and want it.

It's important to not beat ourselves up over it though, either. We are all works in progress and God promised that when He begins a work, He finishes it. And don't compare yourself to others because none of us really knows the private life of anyone... in person as well as on the internet.

Compare EVERYTHING that's said regarding scripture with the scriptures themselves. We aren't even to take our pastors at face value, but to test everything against scripture. You are a unique creation of God. A one of a kind with a purpose and plan that He chose you to fulfill because no one else was designed to accomplish it the way you could. Just rely on Him.
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Old 06-20-2008, 04:43 PM
 
2,017 posts, read 5,078,289 times
Reputation: 1352
Quote:
Originally Posted by cg81 View Post
While we're talking about absolutes:
Matt 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
We can only serve one master. If we're serving God, we're glorifying Him.. and vise versa: If we're glorifying God, we're serving Him. On the other side of the coin, if we're serving self, we're not glorifying God.. and so if we're not glorifying God, we're probably serving self.

It's good to think in absolutes every once in a while.

Of course, none of us is perfect.. we all have instances every day in which we look back and say, man, I sure didn't glorify God in that instance. But our life should be such that it brings glory to God. And we can do this by simply loving and serving Him.
VERY WELL SAID! Much better than I did with my "many words."

EDITED TO ADD: I don't dare take the poll, lest I lie. That's the truth.
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Old 06-20-2008, 05:06 PM
 
Location: God's Country
22,996 posts, read 34,256,841 times
Reputation: 31627
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigthirsty View Post
Ok.. now stay with me..

You are searching for an outfit to wear to your new job (congrats again!)..

how are you glorifying God? Are you saying something? Are you thinking something?

See where I'm getting at? We have 24 hours in a day.. take out at least 8 hours for sleep (man I love sleep) and that leaves us 16 hours to glorify God. What % of that 16 hours do you think you use to glorfiy God?

There are so many things that have to be done in life.. just to make it a life.. so many little things. I guess the question is how do you glorify God while doing your little tasks?

Make sense?
Well I won't have to search for an outfit, everyone wears black shirt and black pants
Maybe in doing the daily things in life like taking a shower, mowing the grass, or whatever, just being aware of His presence, because He's always there. We all get busy and caught up with stuff in life and sometimes forget that God is there.
Hey I'm really disappointed there is no food group in your poll
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Old 06-20-2008, 05:26 PM
 
13,640 posts, read 24,411,941 times
Reputation: 18580
I didn't vote Bigt..because you left off the tacos As far as man a and man b..I can''t speak for either one..As for myself..I think that the longer one is a believer and prays and gives up old habits and is aware of what he says, and does what he can to live the qualities of Christ in his life (love, patience, gentleness, all those and more) the closer he becomes to being in the spirit of Christ until He does it without thinking about it and is not aware anymore of what percentage of his time is devoted to prayer or service..He is now in Christ and Christ is in him..But he is still very human and will be reminded often by temptation, pain, family and friends, but He will always know that Christ stands with Him against all of it and will be there to help him throug.
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Old 06-20-2008, 05:35 PM
 
Location: God's Country
22,996 posts, read 34,256,841 times
Reputation: 31627
Quote:
Originally Posted by blue62 View Post
I didn't vote Bigt..because you left off the tacos As far as man a and man b..I can''t speak for either one..As for myself..I think that the longer one is a believer and prays and gives up old habits and is aware of what he says, and does what he can to live the qualities of Christ in his life (love, patience, gentleness, all those and more) the closer he becomes to being in the spirit of Christ until He does it without thinking about it and is not aware anymore of what percentage of his time is devoted to prayer or service..He is now in Christ and Christ is in him..But he is still very human and will be reminded often by temptation, pain, family and friends, but He will always know that Christ stands with Him against all of it and will be there to help him throug.
Great post blue! And you're right none of us can speak for man A or B

And I want some coon on the next poll!
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Old 06-20-2008, 06:58 PM
 
2,017 posts, read 5,078,289 times
Reputation: 1352
How's
this video for encouraging?! WOW! I love this one.
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Old 06-23-2008, 10:09 AM
 
Location: Jersey Shore
1,574 posts, read 4,739,983 times
Reputation: 1016
We glorify God by simply being as Christ-like as possible in all situations. I don't think that translates into singing hymns in the shower or anything. I don't know, it doesn't seem like such a difficult concept to me. A difficult thing to do, but not a difficult concept. We're not capable of perfection, but we need to put forth the effort every day, in every situation.
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