The Glory Question


"At that same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said..." (Luke 10:21)
Jesus rejoices when the seventy-two disciples come back from their missionary journeys with news of healings and conversions.

When the disciples come to Jesus thrilled with their success in today’s Gospel, Jesus is delighted and he affirms them. Jesus is delighted because he gave authority to the disciples who then went and made a difference in people's lives. They made a difference in the name of Jesus; for the name of Jesus.

This is a great reminder for all Christians and especially for those who are in the ministry of serving the Lord that we are called to make a difference in people's lives in a spirit of humbleness, otherwise, we indulge in self-serving actions and attention-seeking behavior. 

As followers of Christ, we ought to give our honest answer to the following question: Does my life express more of a love for the glory that comes from God or the glory that comes from man?


I share with you author Sarah Walton's list of "14 Markers of Loving Man’s Glory and 12 Markers of Loving God’s Glory":
14 Markers of Loving Man’s Glory
1. You measure your success by what you see and feel in the moment. (eg. If others don’t appreciate what you’ve done or your ministry isn’t flourishing, it must be a failure and not worth continuing.)
2. You are motivated and unmotivated in your work, friendships, church, etc., by the praise or lack of praise of those around you.
3. Your decisions are often driven by what others will think.
4. You are easily discouraged, irritated, or angry when your efforts are not appreciated by others or when others receive credit for something you have done.
5. When others praise you, you begin to feel self-confident in your own abilities, rather than relying on the Lord to lead and provide.
6. You are more drawn to the type of work and serving opportunities that will be noticed and praised by others.
7. You struggle with competitiveness and envy when someone else succeeds or is given praise (even within the body of Christ).
8. You measure success with a short-term view, rather than an eternal one.
9. You spend less time in the Word and prayer and more time perfecting your craft, skill, job, or reputation.
10. You only portray the admirable aspects of your life to those around you (in church, on social media, etc.).
11. You find comfort in making sure others see your pain and shower you with attention because of it.
12. Your relationships only go so deep that your struggles are not revealed.
13. Your emotions and how you feel about yourself are constantly swayed by what you assume others think of you.
14. You only share a surface level of your faith out of fear of offending someone or giving the perception that you are weak, strange, or narrow-minded.
12 Markers of Loving God’s Glory
1. You find joy in Christ’s name being exalted, even if you receive no attention or praise in the process.
2. When others praise you, you feel genuinely humbled, undeserving, and overwhelmed by God’s grace in your life.
3. You persevere in doing good and find joy in serving Christ, even when it isn’t glamorous and goes unappreciated.
4. You find pleasure in exercising the unique gifts that God has given you, no matter the outcome or level of success it brings. On the other hand, you are able to let these gifts go if the Lord chooses to allow it.
5. You are excited for those who do well and compassionate and gracious towards those who fail.
6. You do not measure success by the world’s terms, but by the truth of God’s Word.
7. You are honest about your struggles, failures, and sin, recognizing that you are in the process of sanctification alongside every other Christ-follower.
8. You do not feel the need to portray a certain type of life on social media and do not need a certain amount of likes, comments, shares, friends, or followers to feel good about yourself.
9. You respect church leadership (and others) with the goal of glorifying Christ, rather than needing to be seen and heard.
10. You seek to know and pursue what Christ values more than climbing the ladder of success and seeking what the world values.
11. You extend grace and forgiveness to those around you, seeking unity in Christ, rather than self-protection and justice.
12. You do not feel threatened or intimidated by those who seem to be more spiritually mature than you, but you humbly desire to learn from others, resting in the knowledge that we are all saved by grace and in different places in our faith.
May all our endeavors serve for the Glory of God.
Yours,
Fr. Nareg

Read the Word of God. Today's readings are: Proverbs 12:8-13; Isaiah 49:8-11; 2 Corinthians 4:6-14; Luke 10:21-24

Click here to read Sarah Walton's full article

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