Making Much of God

I (Amanda) have been learning that God really is totally sovereign. I have always believed this theologically, but lately I am beginning to realize how practically I sometimes doubt it. My lips often speak the right words but in my heart I am harboring doubt. I think this because I hear stories about how God is working in someones life and they are struggling with horrible things such as the death of a child, terminal illness or a spouse leaving them. I wonder why these things happen. But I know that scripture teaches that all things work for the good (Rom 8:28). But, do I really know how to deal with these things? Do I really know that God is working this for the good in our lives?
He really is! I have been thinking for weeks about a phrase that we use so much in Christendom: "giving God glory." We want to do this in every area of our lives. But what does it mean? As I was reading a book by Dr. Jay Adams, Back to the Blackboard, he defines giving God glory as "making much of God." I was pondering if I really make much of God in all I do or do I just use the phrase casually. If we think about every facet of life and really test and see, are we making much of God when we do this, say this or participate in this? I come away surprised by how much I don't give God glory. Often I watch a TV show, have a conversation or participate in things that do not make much of God. Sometimes they even mock or go against his very character. This is heartbreaking.
This weekend I had the privilege of going to a ladies retreat in the mountains of New York to hear Martha Peace speak. It was a great time of relaxation for me and my friend, but also we heard over and over again that God must be given glory. Martha reminded us that no matter what we are going through, we must strive to glorify God in it. She brought up an example of just about every horrible thing we could think of that could happen to us and kept encouraging us that if you are going through this or if you do go through it, we must give God glory in it and rest in his sovereignty. She told the story of Joesph and how what his brothers meant for evil, God meant for good. Sometimes God uses the bad for His good. But she brought a passage of Scripture to my mind that really stuck with me from 1 Peter 6-7: In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
I have read this passage before but this time the meaning really took root. Our trials and grief come to us as a test. Through each trial, if we give God praise and glory, our faith will prove to be genuine. WOW! what a truth. They way we act during our trials speaks volumes about our spiritual life. It easy to quote a theological principle but much harder to live it out.
As we were driving home, my friend and I were both thinking, "this weekend was great but I cant help thinking that maybe God brought us here for a reason. I hope nothing horrible is coming our way." And we don't know if it is. It is scary to think about, but nevertheless, if some trial comes our way, we pray that our faith would be found genuine.
So, the next time we say we are striving at "giving God glory" in a church ministry or our homes or at work, or with our kids, etc. Ask yourself, is what I am doing there "making much of God or man?
True glory always makes God bigger and us smaller!