"All Means All"


ALL MEANS ALL
          There is a multitude of ways to glorify God, and I will list a few shortly.  Nevertheless, the Apostle Paul revealed the key in I Corinthians 10:31 (NLT), “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”  Think about this for a minute.  This is the exact truth I have been trying to relate to you now for several weeks in this “Beauty of the Lord” series (and before).  We should seek God’s beauty, His face, His splendor in every moment of every day.  We should glorify or highly honor and esteem Him in everything we do, even in the most basic everyday repetitive, tedious tasks like eating and drinking. 
          “All” means “all.”  “All” that we do in this life, even the most mundane jobs, should be carried out for the glory and honor of God.  The Disciple Peter emphasizes the same truth (I Peter 4:11, NLT), “Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever!  Amen.”  That is pretty powerful!  Whatever you are “gifted” or privileged to be able to do or accomplish each day, then “Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies” with the goal being that “everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ.” 
          Paul not only specifically mentions the more celebrated and noticeable gift of persuasive conversation or public speaking but also “the gift of helping others.”  In other words, if you are helping someone with “whatever,” then help with all the strength and energy God has given you in order to bring glory to God!  Do not serve others grudgingly or arrogantly. 
 
SPECIFICALLY
          So the word “all” actually means “all.”  We do everything for the glory of God.  Nevertheless, to be a little more specific let me explain in more detail exactly how to glorify God through the eyes of Thomas Watson, a 17th century pastor and theologian (puritansermons.com). 
          Watson says we glorify God in four basic ways, through appreciation, adoration, affection, and subjection.  I have, more or less, summarized the first three.  The fourth, subjection, reveals how we glorify God through our willing obedience to His will.  We seek His guidance for our lives.  From these four, Watson lists several possibilities for glorifying God:
  1. Through confession of sin
  2. Through faith or believing
  3. By being sensitive to God’s glory.  (We are hurt when God is not glorified.)
  4. By living a fruitful life
  5. Through our contentment
  6. By working out our own salvation
  7. By living to God
  8. By walking cheerfully
  9. By standing up for truth
  10.  By praising Him
  11.  By being zealous for His name and against sin
  12.  Through all of our work and labors
  13.  By laboring to draw others to God
  14.  When we suffer for God
  15.  When we point to God to receive the praise for our successes
  16.  By a holy life