If you haven’t read my blog, “It All Matters: Part 1” feel free to read it now 🙂 In it, I talk about how through the process of abandonment I started questioning the significance and meaning of certain things because they’re all fleeting. Why pour into my team if it’s gonna change? Why pour into ministry if I’m just gonna leave in a month? But these thoughts and ideas are dangerous because this can translate into every other action in life.
Why does it matter if I’m patient with this cashier right now or I’m not?
Why does it matter if I take the time to talk to this homeless person or I don’t?
Why does it matter if I’m respectful to this telemarketer or not?
It all matters because God matters. It all matters because I said yes to God, and by saying yes to Him, I said yes to loving others. It matters because maybe, just maybe, by loving others His name will be magnified. My squad leader gave some really good insight on this, and shared how she looks at things.
“I have to shift my perspective and look at the bigger picture, God chose to use us for that big picture and to be His love to this broken world and through us saying yes, and continuing to invest in human hearts, even when it is painful and there seems like there’s nothing to gain. Lives are transformed and his kingdom is advanced through God’s bigger picture like a giant quilt that He’s planned out, but asks us to knit little spots alongside Him.”
God isn’t asking me – He isn’t asking you – to be the quilt. He’s asking you to be a stitch, a little piece of fabric. He’s asking you to be and do things that you might see as insignificant, but without them, the quilt is incomplete. He’s asking you to just keep saying yes to Him. Say yes to the opportunities He’s giving you.
He’s asking you to say yes – to the big and little things – because through that, He is glorified.
Saying yes isn’t always easy, but it matters. On top of that, even your reason for saying yes matters. And what I’ve realized is that I don’t always say yes for the right reason.
Sometimes I tell myself that I need to be more patient with the kids, extend more grace to my teammates, surrender control, etc. because that’s what Jesus would do. Which is true, but that shouldn’t be my motivation. That shouldn’t be my reason behind it. My reason should be because doing so magnifies the name of Christ and brings glory to God.
Think about that. Do you understand the difference there? Do you say yes to God because you feel like it’s the right thing to do, or do you say yes to God because you want to – because it’s your desire to glorify Him? John Piper says it this way:
“When you get to heaven and the Father looks at you and says, “Why are you here? Why did you lay down your life for me? You better not say, “It was my duty to come, because I’m a Christian.” You better say, “Where else would I want to go? To whom else could I turn? You are my soul’s desire!” – John Piper (Passion for the Supremacy of God)
So why does it matter? Why should everything we do be motivated by bringing glory to God?
Because this is what we were created to do.
You were created for the glory of God. Isaiah 43:6: “Bring my sons from afar, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; everyone whom I created for my glory.” – John Piper (Passion for the Supremacy of God)
It all matters because God matters. Bringing glory to His name matters. What you do matters, because you were created for this.
So whether it’s ministry, or work, or a conversation with a friend, or a conversation with a stranger, a random act of kindness, an insignificant trip to the grocery store – do it all with a passion to bring glory your creator, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Isaiah 26:8 – Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.
