Bring Honor and Glory

He who has a why to live can bear with almost any how. – Friedrich Nietzsche

Back in the day when I had the luxury of time, I would ponder such weighty questions as: “Why we are here”, “What is the point”, or “Does anything matter?”

Those inquiries seemed weighty at the time, but I suspect the questions appeared to have heft simply because the gray matter meditating on them was pretty light and fluffy in contrast to them.

This brain hasn’t become any more firm, but some could reasonably argue it has become more dense. Be that as it may, I have found over the course of my life that such questions are better left to theologians and philosophers, as my time is more wisely spent simply living in the knowledge that life does exist and, the “why” is less important than the “that”.

If one bothers to read the Westminster Shorter Catechism, she may learn there that a person’s chief end is “… to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.” That is actually as much “why” as one needs. Our job, if I rightly understand the WSC, is to do all we can to bring all glory, laud, and honor to God through our manner of living and being.

That’s easier said than done, of course. First of all, not everything I do brings honor and glory to God. Sometimes I have a bad attitude; sometimes I live carelessly and behave thoughtlessly. I can use the old excuse (tried and true) that I am, after all, only human; but I also know that having been created in the image of God, falling short is a taint on that image – being “less” than human, not “only” human. So I have to acknowledge those short-comings.

Secondly, there are times my intentions are good and noble, but the execution leaves a bit to be desired. A friend or loved one has surgery, or is in crisis and I have every intention of calling, or sending a card, or doing something that might indicate my concern; and yet times passes and the call’s not made, the card’s not bought (let alone sent), and the status of my concern isn’t communicated with anything more concrete than a vague intention stuck or buried somewhere between the frontal lobe and derriere.

If our purpose in life is to bring honor and glory to God, I have learned that one needs to grow up – to mature – and to convert intentions into action, and to transform selfish, thoughtless, and careless living into careful, thoughtful, and shared life with others.

What does that mean? What does that look like? How does one do it?

First of all, it requires us to be aware that we are not alone. There is no “I” without there also being a “we”. The things we say and do impact others whether we intend them to or not.

Sadly, there is no simple test to determine whether the things we do are helpful or unhelpful, loving or unloving. We can only know by speaking to one another and talking with one another and asking what impact our decisions and actions are having so that we can discern, together, a “better way” (as the Bible puts it).

This, in a word, is called humility. Humility says there is a God, and that I’m not him. Humility isn’t being put down or humiliated, but being right sized in one’s attitudes and actions.

“I cannot do all things, but I can do some things” is the attitude of a humble mind.

I cannot call someone every day, but I can certainly call someone (or send a note, text message, or email) when he or she comes to mind. I cannot stop a loved one from making mistakes or getting hurt, but I can be there to help pick up the pieces when they fall or fail. I cannot reverse Wall Street’s greed or undo political corruption, but I can be honest in my own dealings with persons and institutions, and challenge injustice when I see it.

To live is to be connected; to be alive is to work on improving those connections; and to bring glory to God is to do whatever puts a smile on God’s face. The “how” is a joy to discover in this, our world.