Glory and Honor

God “Will Repay Each Person According To What They Have Done.” To Those Who By Persistence In Doing Good Seek Glory, Honor And Immortality, He Will Give Eternal Life. But For Those Who Are Self-Seeking And Who Reject The Truth And Follow Evil, There Will Be Wrath And Anger.  

-Romans 2:6-8

“To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality” – to say I don’t hear this often is a bit of an understatement. I don’t think I’ve ever looked at this passage. I think at some level, my faith is strongly influenced by the Star Wars trilogy, for better or for worse. The good guys are not supposed to feel they are to be completely impartial. Glory and honor are a path to the dark side and to be avoided at all costs.

However, if our lives are here to glorify God, it means that at some level people will be praising our lives and by extension the God that called us to our lives. The early church was praised and everyone knew they worked miracles; however, it was still small because more people weren’t willing to pay the price of joining. But that doesn’t negate the fact that they knew where the life was. They knew without a doubt the early church spoke the truth.

Glory and honor. Stonings and shipwrecks. Overwhelming victory. Going hungry. Meeting with kings. Paul’s life was full of incredible duality; being honored and respected while being despised and persecuted. It’s something that is all over Romans and is potentially the defining aspect of the book.

Personally, I am much more comfortable with the persecution than the blessing; I am way more comfortable with correction than praise. My attitude has always been “nose to the grindstone – I’m just working for those words at the end of my life: well done, good and faithful servant” But the praises of God and others sometimes help to point in the right direction and get us through the hard times.

A couple days ago, I was on an airplane, near the back with many rows in front of me. I heard God tell me, “look at all those people. That’s the number you’ve given jobs to”. I started crying – it was a special moment; a moment I need to hold onto and keep.