This is the succinct, simple and direct mandate of Scripture. All of God’s creation is to be absorbed with putting God’s glory on display. When the angels announced the Savior’s birth, they were joined by the heavenly host, glorifying God (Luke 2:14). The shepherds responded by glorifying God following their visit to the Christ-child in the manger (Luke 2:20). Even the physical creation incessantly declares His glory (Ps 19:1-2).
While the importance of this mandate is not lost on most Christians, its fulfillment frequently is. We give lip-service to it, often closing our prayers of petition with the phrase, “and we’ll be sure to give you all the glory.” But when the answer comes, we, like the nine lepers, are often so elated that we fail to make good on our promise.
How can we follow the example of the physical creation or join in the chorus with the shepherds and the heavenly host in glorifying God? The answer, I believe, is found in Exodus 33:18-34:8. When Moses asks to see God’s glory, God puts His glory on display by rehearsing His attributes, and thereby demonstrates how we can give God the glory that belongs to Him. Here are six ways you can put God’s glory on display:
1. CONFESS SIN
When we confess sin, we are putting His glory on display by declaring His righteousness. That is David’s point in Psalm 51:4: “Against You, You only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that You are justified when You speak and blameless when you judge.”
2. FORGIVE OTHERS
Our God is a forgiving God (Ps 130:3-4; Mic 7:18-19). When we forgive others, we are proclaiming His compassion and eagerness to forgive. It has been said that we are never more God-like than when we forgive. That is why the Lord places so much emphasis on forgiving others in the disciples’ prayer (Mt 6:12, 14-15). Forgiving others puts His glory on display.
