God chose you to mirror his glory. Today think of ways you can showcase his glorious qualities to others and live the exact life he created you to live.
Have you ever wondered what you were made for?
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and I mean, like, what did God design you for? When he brought you into this world, what was the thing he felt you could do, unlike anyone else? Just what were you made for? Well, a hint is found in Isaiah 43:6-7. It’s where Isaiah gives us a glimpse into the future, a time where God says, "I will say to the north, 'Give them up!' and to the south, 'Do not hold them back.' Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth; everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made." Wow!
If you ever wonder exactly why God created you, or why he placed you in your specific family, God couldn't have spelled the answer out any plainer than in Isaiah 43. Because he created you for one purpose: to showcase his glory and to do it in a way that only you can do. He also created you to enjoy his glory in a way that only you can experience. He designed you to display his glory and demonstrate it every day to everyone that you encounter.
Now I realize that this sounds pretty broad, pretty sweeping, and you may be wondering what it looks like for you to put his glory on display. Like, just how are you specifically supposed to showcase his grandeur to your family and friends, or your coworkers and neighbors? Well, think about it – for you to showcase his glory means that every day, you’re supposed to draw attention to his attributes and characteristics. It means making hard choices in order to do the right thing. It means biting your tongue from gossiping and defending the good actions of fellow Christians. To showcase God’s glory means going out of your way for a neighbor in need. It means not forgetting those the Lord keeps mentioning in Scripture time and again, like the poor or the homeless or the prisoners or the orphans or widows. To showcase the glory of God means to tell the truth even when it's hard, not snapping back when someone hurts you, or speaking freely and openly about your Father in heaven. In short, it's living like Jesus lived when he walked on earth. That’s what God made you for. He made you to talk and act, think and pray, respond and love and forgive just like Jesus.
And there’s a very good reason why. Because, you see, God is invisible. In the Old Testament, whenever this invisible God wanted to display himself, his glorious attributes and character, his innermost being, he had to do so through something visible. Something visible like a burning bush, or a pillar of cloud and fire, or what they call a "theophany" [that is, a visible appearance of the pre-incarnate Chris]. That was in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, God displayed his glory through his Son, Jesus. But New Testament times are behind us. Jesus doesn't physically walk on earth anymore, and burning bushes happen only in prairie fires or in piles of burning leaves. So in our present age, just how does an invisible God display his glory? Through you. He chooses you. And oh, friend, what a privilege. What an honor. God no longer looks for burning bushes, He looks to you. He picks you. You are to mirror his glory. So today, think of ways you can showcase God’s glorious qualities to others, for in so doing, you will be living the life – the exact life – that God created you live.
© Joni and Friends