Proverbs 25:27. It is not good to eat much honey, nor is it glorious to seek one’s own glory.
The Old Testament word for glory comes from the Hebrew word for weight or heaviness, kabod. The idea is that heavy things are worth more than light things. Heavy swords were better than light swords. Heavy stones are better than light stones. Heavy chariots are more powerful than light foot soldiers.
The truth that the scripture reveals to us, and that we all intrinsically know, is that everyone wants glory. We all want to know that we are worth something. That we are important and that we are loved. God created us for glory. Glory seeking is not in and of itself a bad thing. Moses prayed, Lord show me your glory, and God answered that prayer. But when we try too hard to get glory from any source other than God, it becomes something that hurts us instead of helps us. Like eating too much honey. A little honey is sweet and tasty. Too much honey makes you sick.
There are literally hundreds of glories that we seek every day that can make us spiritually sick when we over-pursue them. The glory of performance. The glory of beauty. The glory of pleasure. The glory of work. Of production. Of perfection. There are so many things in life that are meant to be glorious because they come from our glorious God. Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of Lights, James says. But we must be careful to not turn the glorious gifts of God into our own glory rather than his. Anything we experience that is glorious must be returned to God in praise and gratitude.
Remember, glory is like honey. A little bit is good, but too much makes you sin sick. Think about honey. Where does honey come from? From bees. So we don’t get honey from ourselves do we? We don’t make our own honey. Nor should we try to manufacture our own glory. If someone else honors you with an award, a certificate, a high five, a word of gratitude or praise, that’s great. That’s a little bit of honey. But as soon as we start wanting more and more glory, when we start controlling situations in order to promote ourselves, when we go fishing for compliments, or get salty because we didn’t get the honor we think we deserve, that’s when we have crossed over into the illness of sinful glory.
John 17:22-23. 22The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.
Here is the cure of Christ. Jesus has given us the same glory that he shares with the Father. The glory of unity. Of “in-ness.” Perfectly one like Father and Son. Seeking our own glory WILL divide us, but receiving the glory of the Trinity will always unite us. Do you see division in your life, in your home, in your church? Likely there is some glory seeking going on. Too much honey is being consumed. Do you see love, joy, peace in your life, your home, your church? Chances are there is much more receiving of glory than seeking of glory happening.
Receiving glory, that’s to live is Christ. And Christ’s glory is a glory we can feast upon without fear of getting sin sick.
You: In what ways do you chase after glory each day?
You in Christ: How does union with Christ give us the glory of God, the Trinity? Think about love, unity, sharing.
Christ in you: How specifically can you trade your own glory for the glory of the indwelling Christ today?
Pray: Father, in Christ I have the glory of the Trinity. Let your glory consume me. Let it be enough for me, so that I can stop chasing my own glory. Amen.
To Live is Christ 