Why
do you believe the gospel? Why do you serve the Lord Jesus? Why do you pray for
God’s grace in your life? Too often these questions are answered in what can
only be described as human-centered, selfish ways. We believe the gospel
because we want to be saved. We serve Jesus because want His favor so He will
bless us. We pray for God’s grace so that our lives will be better than they
would be otherwise.
These
answers may be true, but they are far from the God-centered desire we read in
the Scriptures. The Psalmist prayed:
May God be
gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way
may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. (Psalm 67:1-2)
Did you notice why the psalmist prayed for grace? He
wanted God’s way and power to be displayed before the people of the earth. In
other words, this psalm writer asked the Lord for grace and blessings in order
to magnify the glory and fame of God.
It is certainly right to celebrate
God’s goodness to us personally. No one should feel less spiritual for desiring
to be saved from wrath, sin, and hell. But the initial impulse to escape
punishment and obtain blessings for ourselves should not remain our sole or highest
motive in seeking the grace of God. We must learn to seek salvation for God’s
sake, not merely our own. We must want His name to be glorified, His work to be
displayed, and His power to be more fully known. God is at work within us not
only to aid our efforts but also our desires (Php. 2:13). So we can pray that
God will grant us this grace also, to desire His glory above our own, and to be
motivated by His fame and not just by our personal benefit. Soli Deo Gloria…Glory to God Alone! -JME
