Glory GirlНамуна

Being a Glory Girl

One day in elementary school some girls started a gymnastics club and I was not invited. I was so bummed, but I wish I had done something different. I wish I would have encouraged them, because I now know that what I’m great at is encouraging people.

But I didn’t…instead, I started a running club. You might be wondering, “Oh! Were you good at running?!” No! In fact, I was such a slow runner that to be mean my t-ball team called me “lightning.” I wasn’t a good runner, but I wasn’t good at gymnastics either. I just wanted a THING.

I wanted a thing to be known by, to be measured by, to be grouped with. I wanted something to be really good at.

Do you have a thing? Something that’s all yours? That people know you by? Have you ever wanted one?

You may not care a thing about gymnastics, and running might not be on your radar. But those are easy examples for us to think about. It doesn’t change the truth that somewhere in your life there is probably a temptation to fit in or stand out.

Being a glory girl is about giving God glory and we can’t seek God’s glory and our own at the same time. Let’s unpack this a little. What is glory? Who should get it?

The dictionary defines glory as something that is a source of honor, fame, or admiration. The Bible agrees with that definition in that God is full of glory, He is glorious! God is amazing—amazingly good, amazingly kind, amazingly personal. And He’s made us to be attracted to glory. When we see something beautiful, we can’t look away. We want to be near to things, people, and situations that are incredible or awe-inspiring.

But our lives can get very tripped up when we start to crave the glory for ourselves. Essentially, that’s us wanting other humans to worship us. That would be pretty silly and crazy, right? I mean, I wanted those girls in the gymnastics club to like me, but I didn’t want them to start singing songs to me and wearing sweatshirts with my name on them. That would be silly.

The Most Glorious One—the God who made the oceans and the stars and humans and giraffes and the Grand Canyon—He already sees me and pays attention to me because He loves me.

Our Father in Heaven, He’s the best, He’s the King and He’s here for His glory. Because He has called us His girls and given us work to do, we do have a race to run. But it’s not a race we’re trying to beat others at. It’s not any race in which we win the prize and claim the glory for ourselves. It’s His race, aimed at bringing as many other people into His family as possible.

"Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God." —Hebrews 12:2 (MSG)

Journaling Questions:

You are off the hook from needing to be something amazing or incredible yourself, because God already is. How does that make you feel?

How have you seen God’s grace and strength and power in your life so far?