The Tug of Glory

By Dean Collins

The psalmist said it well, but our problem throughout all of history is our tendency to figure out how we can share in the glory instead of give God the glory.

I am sure at some point you have seen someone who accomplished something significant hold out their hand, indicating that the audience stop their applause. Maybe we have all had a moment like that where we achieved some milestone and were given recognition, but we were uncomfortable with the attention. But at the same time, on the inside we liked, or even desired, more recognition. If we are talking about appreciation, then there is nothing wrong with being appreciated. The problem is the pull or drift toward wanting to get a little glory because once we get it, we almost always want a little more, and the pursuit of this glory is hard to cut off or stop.

I think there is a connection between power and glory. King David indicated as much in his prayer towards the end of his life, recorded in 1 Chronicles:

“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all.” (29:11)

As followers of Jesus, we would certainly agree that God is all powerful and deserves all glory. He is the creator of all things, the giver of life, and our salvation through the gift of his son Jesus. I doubt any of us disagree with the psalmist who said, “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory.” And we agree with the psalmist’s rationale as he unpacks this statement in the rest of Psalm 115.

Our problem is that we tend to want some power, and if we get a little power, it tends to grow into a greater desire for more power. Satan is good at setting the trap, and once we take the bait it can become addictive. 

One thing we might do to fight off our tendencies to wanting just a little glory and power is to remind ourselves of what John the Baptist said when he was questioned about all the attention that Jesus was getting.

“He must increase, but I must decrease.” He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all.”

Almost everything we do yearns for the opposite of John the Baptist’s words. If we have had a little increase, we are rarely satisfied. Think for a minute about that first promotion you got at work, maybe from entry-level employee to some sort of team leader or manager. How did it feel? Probably great, because it came with a little status, a pay raise, and a little more power. Even as volunteers on various social committees or in nonprofit organizations, this can happen. Once we are recognized for our leadership, we tend to get more responsibility, and of course, more responsibility leads to more recognition, and with it comes real or perceived power.

In the middle of this psalm, we are reminded that we are called to trust in the Lord, and we are given a reason: He is our help and our shield. As I think about this verse, I think I see my problem. Maybe it is yours as well. I absolutely want the Lord’s help. His help is much better than anyone else’s help and better than any self-help I can conjure up. I think our problem might be in whom and what we seek our shield or protection.

When reading this devotional or in prayer or reading scripture, we all would absolutely sense and know that God is our shield. He is our ultimate protection. But have you noticed how often we drift toward wanting someone else to be our protection? Not to be silly, but we buy dogs, alarm systems, security cameras, guns, and much more because we want to find protection and safety. Not to get political, but I think we also seek the shield of protection in our politics and political leaders. I suspect God sighs every time we think that something or some person or some ideology can protect us better than he can.

Dear Father, today we ask for forgiveness for every time we have sought glory for ourselves instead of giving you the glory. Forgive us for our misplaced ideas of security. You, O Lord, are our help and our shield. Today we surrender every person, everything, and every place that we seek security other than in you. Not to us, O Lord, but to your name give glory! In Jesus name, amen. 

Your Time with God’s Word
Psalm 115:1-18; 1 Chronicles 29:11 ESV

Photo by The Ian on Unsplash
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