To God Be the Glory

Hymn:   

To God be the glory, great things he hath done!

So loved he the world that he gave us his Son,

who yielded his life an atonement for sin,

and opened the lifegate that all may go in.

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,

let the earth hear his voice!

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,

let the people rejoice!

O come to the Father thru Jesus the Son,

and give him the glory, great things he hath done!

"Frame your experience in a way that gives meaning to what you are going thru.  Let the words that come out of your mouth reflect the good side of what's happening." Amy Grant

Whether you're an Olympic athlete giving God the glory for your stellar performance and amazing talent, or someone going through unimaginably difficult times, there is always a choice of where to place your focus.  Will the focus of your words about it be on the personal struggle, the difficulties faced in the past or in the future, or will your focus be on the good that is being worked out in the current situation?

Maybe you've also noticed the Olympians who, at the time of their greatest accomplishments, use the spotlight to point to God as the source of their talent and opportunity and strength.  They could quite appropriately frame their achievements as the result of a lifetime of hard work.  Instead, one after another has chosen to say, "To God be the glory."  One athlete went so far as to state that his sports ability does not define him, even at its highest point, and it wouldn't define him if he failed to achieve.  His identity comes as a Child of God.

Or maybe you've known someone like my friend Kathy, who is carrying a load of stress and anxiety that would crumble most people, including me.  She feels the pain, and I know she's cried tears and prayed a lot.  But she is also choosing to frame this in a manner that gives meaning to the God is bringing from the terrible situation to accomplish goals for the Kingdom and for her.

There is meaning in triumph and happiness, and there is meaning in pain and suffering.  When we look, God is at work in all things. When we look for Him, we see fingerprints all over our lives.  Whether we choose to look, though, is up to us.  When we DO see God, the words coming out of our mouth can help others to see Him too.

Prayer: Praise be to you, my God, my Father. In my finest hour and in my darkest night, You walk beside me.  You shepherd me and work everything for good, sometimes in ways that are hard to see.  Every minute of my life has meaning. Help me to look and to see all the good that is happening, and to share that goodness with others.  Thank you for those, like the Olympians, like Amy Grant, and like my friend Kathy, who You use to show me a better way.  Amen

Contributed by Lori Snyder-Sloan

lorisnyder@lincolnwebdesign.com