Glorifying God with Our Time
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” I Corinthians 10:31
I Corinthians 10:31 can be a heavy verse for Christians. Whatever you do, it must be for the glory of God. Many take it as hyperbole and ignore its seemingly excessive demands. For others, the verse is paralyzing, causing them to micro-analyze every decision and thought. Ephesians 5:15-16 is no less demanding, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” How does a Christian make the best use of the time so that in all they do they glorify God?
There are two ways one can approach the question. First, list common tendencies that are obviously not God-glorifying. The puritan, Richard Baxter, called these tendencies “time thieves” – things like idleness, excessive amounts of sleep, gluttony, idle chatter, and so on. These things rob us of our time to grow in the knowledge of Christ and to labor for his kingdom. They will never turn a profit for God’s glory.
A second way to look at that question is to ponder how Christians can positively glorify God. This is a more difficult question, but Scripture gives us insight into how we should think about our actions. I Thessalonians 4:3 tells us, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification.” For Christians, growing in godliness should be our first impulse in glorifying God for an ungodly heart will never, at any time, seek to glorify God in anything. Richard Baxter says it this way, “The master time-thief that robs men of their time is the unsanctified, ungodly heart; for they lose time in whatever they do, because they never truly intend to glorify God.” The first step in glorifying God in all that we do is to sanctify our hearts – the fountain of our thoughts and deeds.
–
John Starke is on staff at the Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood in Louisville, KY. He and his wife Jena have three children. He also blogs at John Ploughman.
