The Quest for Glory

The true condition of my heart was laid bare, and I clearly saw that no human relationship, no worldly possession, no human desire of any kind could or should satisfy the deepest longing of my heart and meet the greatest need of my soul. To Jesus alone belonged that honor.

The Lord shattered the tombstone over my heart. He called me forth, exchanging my grave clothes and dressing me with His glory.

Transformation

I believe that the extent to which we humble ourselves is the extent to which we receive the grace to accept who we truly are. This acceptance allows the glory of God to dwell in our lives. As we decrease, God increases. Jesus Christ then is exalted among the people and places we influence: our homes, schools, workplaces, neighborhoods, marriages, families and relationships.

The glory of God, the manifest presence of God residing within a human life is powerfully impacting. When heaven touches earth, remarkable changes take place. The glory of God in each of us has the supernatural, life-giving power to penetrate and heal the desolate places of the soul and to touch and revive every dead region of the earth!

“Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let your glory be over all the earth” (Ps. 108:5, NIV).

We need to allow His glory to arise. There are tombs of death within every human heart. God desires to call forth the Lazarus in all of us so we may take off the grave clothes and exchange them for the glory of the living God. Humility is the door for the actualized presence of God to permeate those places of death.

Until I humbled myself on the floor of Mott Auditorium, my prayers for a changed marriage had been self-directed idolatry. I had wanted God to change my marriage so that I could be a “happy wife” and have a “happy family.” I had been seeking the “happily ever after” blessing that I thought every Christian deserved. With deep sorrow, I confessed and repented of that sin. For the first time, I could see my husband Ché as God saw Ché, and I wanted to love him as God loved him—unconditionally.

Then and there, I wholeheartedly vowed to Jesus every part of me. Any loss, even the hope for a good marriage, was nothing compared to the gain of knowing Him. I had now tasted the depths of His love, and I knew that all other love paled in comparison. Gaining Jesus means lacking nothing. Just Jesus—Jesus is enough.

The Lord showed me that there is a higher, more sacred romance even than marriage, a consecrated communion with Jesus that is incomparable to any earthly relationship. It is the relationship of Jesus, our Bridegroom, with His glorious bride, the church.

Relationship is preeminent in the heart of God. God values people supremely. He proved it by His death and resurrection. Now He seeks to make Himself known, face to face, to each one of us in every aspect of our lives.

Our Maker created man and woman in His divine image so that we could fellowship with Him and then uniquely reflect and communicate His love, glory and holiness back to Him and to those with whom we interact. This is how we bring glory to His name—by being filled with Him and sharing Him with others.

The glory of God is the actual nearness and personal closeness of the unseen God. Intimate relationship is the earnest desire of God, who seeks to make Himself known face to face to each one of us every moment of the day and in every aspect of our lives. The Bible says that God “became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14, NKJV) and if we “draw near to God … He will draw near to [us]” (James 4:8).

God paid the ultimate price to give us the privilege of His presence. He sacrificed His only Son, Jesus, on the cross. He paid the highest price of love in His desire for relationship with us so that the void in our lives would be filled with the life of God.

More than ever, I need God. In my personal quest for glory, I have found Him through humility and continual repentance. For Him to increase, I must choose to decrease (John 3:30). I am continually learning that in the lowliness of humility, the grace of God abounds.

It is this grace that prompted the mutual forgiveness, repentance and reconciliation that allowed God to resurrect, restore, and renew my husband, Ché, and me to Him and to one another. His redemptive love caused all things to become new. Christ the Lord is now the firm foundation of our marriage.

A new and genuine respect and trust began to grow agape love between us in which the glory of God could thrive. A true security was established in each of our hearts by the Father’s love, enabling us to love each other more and give to each other freely. This same blessing is available to anyone who will call on God based on the finished work of His Son on Calvary.