In some fashion, we are all pressing upward, vying for glory. While corporate ladders typically outline upward mobility with clearly defined steps, successes in all arenas are fueled in part by some form of acknowledgement. A stay at home mom, who fulfills a most challenging and important role, may not have career advancement in mind, but may be driven by her children "rising up and calling her blessed" or Facebook friends "liking" the job she is doing.
In the marketplace, compensation plays to glory, as it is fundamentally a tool to reward and attribute value to a worker. Raises increase purchasing power, which in turn facilitates acquisition of products and brands that set one apart and subtly speak to what a person has achieved or is capable of.
At its foundation, performance itself is incentivized by recognition. At every stage in our lives, top performers are granted increased visibility in almost every field: Valedictorian, Rhodes Scholar, MD, VP, CEO, MVP, shoot, even kid's spelling bee's have a "champion". Whether being lifted up involves a podium, a trophy, or a simple pat on the back is not the point. Regardless the ladder we are climbing each rung is marked in some fashion by increase in title, status, recognition or reward, all of which lead to greater glory.
The question is not: do I live for glory, but instead, to what end will glory bestowed on me be used?
Will glory given me be a means to stake a temporary claim with temporal ends on this fleeting dirt wad we call Earth? Or will it be used for the eternal purposes of The One who will outshine the sun?
After all we are all Wired For Glory.
"I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me." John 17:22-23
"Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen." I Peter 4:11
"O nations of the world, recognize the Lord, recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong. Give to the Lord the glory he deserves!" 1 Chronicles 16:28–29a
- Micah McElveen