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Articles
I will glory in Jesus
At the end of my high school football career, I had amassed a couple participation trophies, a couple area/region championships, and few state playoff appearances. The one lasting reward I received from football is a left knee that reminds me every time the barometric pressure changes. I was never the fastest or strongest on my team, but I enjoyed the time spent on the practice field and under those “Friday Night Lights” with my teammates and friends. If I were to glory about my talent to play football, or any other sport, then I would fall incredibly short compared to others who have played on Saturdays and Sundays.
At the end of our lives, what will others remember about us? Will it be our talent in a specific sport or playing an instrument in the band? Will it be our choices regarding the words we spoke and the actions we accomplished? Will we be remembered as being a faithful Christian, or will others hardly even know that we were a Christian? We live in a world that prides itself with its accolades, but what will any of these trophies achieve in regard to eternity? What should be the objective of a Christian? How do we want to be remembered by our family, friends, and others?
The apostle Paul had a different attitude than our current society regarding this life and its various forms of glory. Paul’s glory did not arise from within himself, but rather it was entirely grounded on what Jesus had done for him. The apostle Paul wrote –
14 But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world (Galatians 6:14; emphasis mine, bcj).
7 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, (Philippians 3:7-8; emphasis mine, bcj).
Am I willing to imitate Paul’s faith and humility? Am I willing to glory only in what I have through faith in Jesus Christ?
Our brother Don Alexander wrote a beautiful hymn, In the Glory of His Cross, that captures this attitude which should be found in each our lives. The hymn traces the events of Jesus’ life that have brought us the gospel; from Jesus’ prayer in the garden of Gethsemane to His cruel death on the cross. The final two verses convey the story of our present lives and the confident expectation of Jesus’ second coming. The beauty of this hymn is truly found in the final stanza of each verse -
v. 1 - I will glory, all my glory, in the glory of His care.
v. 2 - I will glory, all my glory, in the glory of His grace.
v. 3 - I will glory, all my glory, in the glory of His cross.
v. 4 - We will glory, all our glory, in the glory of His love.
How are these words impacting and shaping our lives? Are we singing the song only because of its beautiful melody, or are we truly motivated by these words and their application in our lives?
At the end of my life, how will others remember me? Our lives should be remembered for one thing - Jesus Christ and Him crucified! Jesus is the source of every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3). We literally have nothing outside of Jesus and His death, burial, and resurrection. Our lives should be given completely over to the obedience of His will. The accolades and prizes of men will all perish and be forgotten, but carrying the name of Jesus faithfully each day of our lives gives us a hope for eternity with Him. May God bless us with the strength to overcome the pride of man and in humility glory, all our glory, in the glory of Jesus Christ!
