When the kids were younger, I would read books to them before nap and often play a children’s hymn on the piano while we sang it together. Then, if there was time after our nightly Bible reading and prayer, I’d play another hymn for us to sing before bed. Singing or speaking praises to God at the start and end of our days is one way to keep our focus on worshiping our Creator rather than on lesser priorities.
If we aren’t
regularly glorifying and thanking God, we can easily be deceived by the world,
and our thoughts can become foolish. We will worship either God or something
else. As Paul describes in this next section of Romans, we can trade the glory
of God for temporal things.
Romans 1:21-23: “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.”
As verse 21 indicates, there is a difference between knowing God and glorifying Him. I know who the true God is, but I don’t always glorify Him.
We glorify God
by:
- growing in a personal relationship with Him.
- adoring Him.
- worshiping and praising Him for who He is.
- giving Him the credit for all of our accomplishments.
- thanking Him for all of our blessings and sufferings.
- exalting Him above anyone and anything else.
This week, what mortal thing have we placed above our relationship with God (a possession, person, project, plan, player, etc.)? Our relationship with God is eternal and the most important one we have.
One of the hymns we sometimes sing with the kids is “To God Be the Glory.” Let’s give glory to God rather than exchange it for something mortal.
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