The more I live, and the more I battle with sin, the more I am convinced that it is a battle of glory. It is a battle between my glory and Christ’s glory, between pride and humility. As I reflect on my emotions, my thoughts and actions, and my desires and purposes behind them, I always find this battle. I find myself acting in ways to further my glory, speaking in ways to further my glory, and dressing in ways to further my glory. Yet all it ever leads to is insecurity and hopelessness, because I mess up, I fail, and thus, I am nothing without Christ. There is no glory to be furthered if that glory is mine.
And so I wrote 12 resolutions to help me fight this battle in the Lord’s favor, so that Christ might be glorified rather than me.
- 1. Resolved, to live and act for God’s glory in all aspects of life rather than my own.
2. Resolved, in light of resolution one, to desire a wife and act in pursuit of a wife for God’s glory rather than my own.
3. Resolved, to not act in order to gain acceptance of others, but act in order to maximize the glorification of God.
4. Resolved, to not be ruled by sarcasm, joking, mocking, but that my speech, tone and mannerisms might be pleasing to God and glorifying to His Son.
5. Resolved, to not speak pridefully or arrogantly of myself, but of Christ and Christ alone.
6. Resolved, to lead others to glorify God.
7. Resolved, to have an ever-striving pursuit of maximizing God’s glory in every aspect of my life, from my actions, to my speech and my appearance.
8. Resolved, to not dress in order to gain glory for myself.
9. Resolved, to not find my identity, or confidence, in myself but rather in Christ, who died for me, and the Father, who sent him.
10. Resolved, to never be satisfied with my holiness, but to continually resolve myself to fight for holiness.
11. Resolved, to follow Christ to the death of myself.
12. Resolved, to trust God knowing that His will is perfect.
Whose glory do you live for? Are you living to further your own glory, are your actions and thoughts for your glory, or are you living to further Christ’s glory in thought and deed?