“How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?” (John 5:44)
Everyone seeks glory.
Not everyone seeks glory in the same way, but everyone does seek it. Sit around a coffee table with some men, and you will hear tales of big fish, hunting elusive game, wealth acquisition, philanthropic endeavors, and a host of other things. Listen to a few women talk, and you will hear them compare themselves and others in a way that demonstrates a longing for approval from someone.
The Bible cuts to the heart of those deepest longings within us, and it exposes the truly sinister nature of fallen sinful humanity. Our glory-seeking is malfunctioning, and we long for a glory that cannot come from the ones through whom we often pursue it. In fact, Jesus says that our malfunctioning glory-seeking makes us resistant to the glory that comes only from God.
Only when someone comes to see temporary glory for what it is can that person then receive the true and lasting glory, which God gives to all those in Christ. Everyone seeks glory, but only those who seek Christ’s glory and not their own will experience the glory that only comes from God.
May God help us come to the end of ourselves, and may He graciously grant that we would seek and find that glory He gives through Christ.
Holding the Line 