As I was sitting at my kitchen table eating some Kellogg's fruit loops yesterday morning, I remembered a verse I had read in my quiet time the day before.
1 Corinthians 10:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. (NIV)
I could not help but wonder, "how does eating my cereal glorify God?". Then a little wave of guilt fell over me.... maybe I should have stuck to eating my normal Special K cereal, instead of divulging in sugar coated fruity circles - would that glorify God more?
It sounds like a silly thought, however, this verse above says EVERYTHING we do should glorify God, including eating and drinking. I suppose that 'everything' would even include fruit loop consumption.
So I looked up the official definition of "glorify", and it said:
- to make glorious by bestowing honor, praise, or admiration
- to elevate to celestial glory
- to light up brilliantly
- to represent as glorious
- to give glory to (as in worship)
So, as I eat my fruit loops - based on the definitions above - I should be elevating God, lighting up brilliantly from the inside out, representing the Holy Spirit, and giving Him glory. Somehow that makes eating my cereal seem a bit more complicated than I would like.
The command to "glorify God in all that you do" can almost seem overwhelming. Seriously, how can we glorify Him in ALL that we do? It seems easy to glorify Him through our prayers, through our service, and in our ministries. It is easy to give Him glory when we see prayers answered and blessings occur. It is even sometimes easy to glorify Him in hard times, as we have learned to trust that He knows best.
But how can I "glorify" God through fruit loop eating?
Hmmm..... I suppose.... I could praise Him for the fact that I have breakfast food to eat. I could praise Him for the table in my kitchen; for the heat that is keeping me warm while I consume my crunchy o's; for the spoon in my hand; for the coordination to use my fingers to hold the spoon and get it to my mouth; for the eyes that allow me to see my bowl; for the cows that He created that produced the milk in my bowl; and for the ability to swallow.
Glorifying God is not really about "what" we do, but "how" we do it, and whether we choose to praise Him through our thoughts and actions.
It is about living out our faith in every aspect of life, from eating and drinking, to dressing and carrying out normal daily routines, to praising and worshipping.
It is about being a Godly role model to others, so that through our behaviors and spoken words, others might be see His reflection in us.
God IS glory, and thus only He can magnify Himself. So when we glorify God, we are really not giving Him glory, but rather reflecting His glory, even in the mundane, routine and seemingly unimportant acts that we carry out in our every day lives.
In pondering all of this, I had some questions trickle through my mind:
Do I glorify God in my every day actions?
Do I glorify Him in my work and with my time?
Do I glorify Him in my conversations with others, and in what I say or what I choose not to say?
Do I glorify God in what I watch on television, and the words that I read?
Do I glorify God in what I wear and the places I go?
Do I glorify Him in what I eat and drink?
Maybe these are questions to ask yourself today too. Consider how you can better reflect Gods glory in all that you do, even if you are simply eating a bowl of fruit loops.
1 Corinthians 10:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. (NIV)
I could not help but wonder, "how does eating my cereal glorify God?". Then a little wave of guilt fell over me.... maybe I should have stuck to eating my normal Special K cereal, instead of divulging in sugar coated fruity circles - would that glorify God more?
It sounds like a silly thought, however, this verse above says EVERYTHING we do should glorify God, including eating and drinking. I suppose that 'everything' would even include fruit loop consumption.
So I looked up the official definition of "glorify", and it said:
- to make glorious by bestowing honor, praise, or admiration
- to elevate to celestial glory
- to light up brilliantly
- to represent as glorious
- to give glory to (as in worship)
So, as I eat my fruit loops - based on the definitions above - I should be elevating God, lighting up brilliantly from the inside out, representing the Holy Spirit, and giving Him glory. Somehow that makes eating my cereal seem a bit more complicated than I would like.
The command to "glorify God in all that you do" can almost seem overwhelming. Seriously, how can we glorify Him in ALL that we do? It seems easy to glorify Him through our prayers, through our service, and in our ministries. It is easy to give Him glory when we see prayers answered and blessings occur. It is even sometimes easy to glorify Him in hard times, as we have learned to trust that He knows best.
But how can I "glorify" God through fruit loop eating?
Hmmm..... I suppose.... I could praise Him for the fact that I have breakfast food to eat. I could praise Him for the table in my kitchen; for the heat that is keeping me warm while I consume my crunchy o's; for the spoon in my hand; for the coordination to use my fingers to hold the spoon and get it to my mouth; for the eyes that allow me to see my bowl; for the cows that He created that produced the milk in my bowl; and for the ability to swallow.
Glorifying God is not really about "what" we do, but "how" we do it, and whether we choose to praise Him through our thoughts and actions.
It is about living out our faith in every aspect of life, from eating and drinking, to dressing and carrying out normal daily routines, to praising and worshipping.
It is about being a Godly role model to others, so that through our behaviors and spoken words, others might be see His reflection in us.
God IS glory, and thus only He can magnify Himself. So when we glorify God, we are really not giving Him glory, but rather reflecting His glory, even in the mundane, routine and seemingly unimportant acts that we carry out in our every day lives.
In pondering all of this, I had some questions trickle through my mind:
Do I glorify God in my every day actions?
Do I glorify Him in my work and with my time?
Do I glorify Him in my conversations with others, and in what I say or what I choose not to say?
Do I glorify God in what I watch on television, and the words that I read?
Do I glorify God in what I wear and the places I go?
Do I glorify Him in what I eat and drink?
Maybe these are questions to ask yourself today too. Consider how you can better reflect Gods glory in all that you do, even if you are simply eating a bowl of fruit loops.
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