“ . . . whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” – 1 Corinthians 10:31
We begin a new series called the “ ‘Whatever’ Series.” The focal point of this series is the verse I just quoted. Whatever we do, whether it is in the marketplace, at home, at church — wherever we are — and whatever we do, we do it all for God’s glory.
In terms of our walk with God, there should be no separation between how we are to conduct ourselves, whether it is within or outside the context of the marketplace.
There are several “Whatever” passages in scripture. Today, we look at the phrase “Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Whether we eat, drink, play, worship, enjoy recreation, or make a business transaction, we do all to God’s glory.
Glory
The key word I want to focus on in the passage is glory: Do all to the glory of God. Glory, in the context of Scripture refers to a radiance, a brightness, a splendor. Moses saw God’s glory, or His splendor/brightness on Mt. Sinai. In fact, God’s splendor was so great that Moses was not permitted to see God’s face — he would not be able to handle that much splendor. Exodus 34 says that, “When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD” (Exodus 34:29, NIV). The next verse says, “When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him.”
The word is used when honoring or recognizing someone because of his or her merit. God certainly has merit, so He is worthy of glory. This Greek word used for glory is also used in the word “Doxology.” You may have sung the song that is simply called The Doxology: Praise God from whom all blessings flow; praise Him all creatures here below. Praise Him above the Heavenly Host.
There are several doxologies in the Bible. For those of you familiar with the Biblical Principles for Business Professionals podcast, at the end of each episode, I have been quoting what is known as the Jude Doxology, found at the end of the book of Jude.
Some other doxologies: Ephesians 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.” Romans 11:36 says, “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” These verses shine light on God because of His merit, because of who He is.
Giving God Center Stage
When the actors come out onto stage after the conclusion of a production in what is known as the “curtain call,” they take a bow. The audience applauds the actors, often giving a standing ovation. During the curtain call, the main character is center stage.
If you are the person who is in charge of the lighting during a theatrical presentation, your job is to shine light on the person speaking, where the light should shine. When the focus is suppose to be on the main character, you would put the spotlight on that person. Our lives then should reflect the light of life’s main character — God, who should take center stage of our hearts.
That’s what it means to give God the glory! To cast forth the light of our Creator, our Savior, our Redeemer. We put God center stage in our lives.
A friend of mine owns a construction business in Northern Kentucky. When he has meetings with his team, he almost always reinforces his mission: “To treat every property as if it belongs to God Himself.” He constantly reiterates to his team that God is at the center of his business.
In the marketplace, we do this first by setting an example. Our conduct is very important. Therefore, we walk the walk. Additionally, we also “talk the talk,” because both are important. What we say and how we say those things are important as well.