I am thinking through reasons to be thankful over the next few days. I have been blessed beyond belief and know that. Yet, this time of year forces me to examine my life and give that a little extra consideration. And, I am writing that here, for all to see. Or, like 5 people to see….not exactly all I guess.
As a Christian, I believe that God created all things. (Genesis 1:1) The Triune God did not need anything. (Acts 17:25) It is not as if the all-sufficient, Triune God who is in perfect fellowship with the other persons of the Godhead is lacking anything. He has everything He needs to be totally satisfied in Himself and yet He created. This causes me to think through some things. Two of which are:
Soooooo, why did He do that? And, why did He create me?
God created us as an act of grace for His glory.
Everything is Created for God’s Glory
All things were created for God’s glory. And, when I walk out into nature I understand how it does so. It is amazing to take a walk in the woods or to look off of the top of a mountain. Simply put, God’s creation is glorious and it does what it was created to do. As Paul wrote in his letter to the church at Colossae,
For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him. (Colossians 1:16 ESV)
I look out onto the stars and think,
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handwork. (Psalm 19:1 ESV)
This is right and proper. This is creation doing what it was created to do. It brings glory and honor to God when we look upon nature and say, “Wow, this is wonderful! Isn’t God great!”
You Were Created for God’s Glory
This statement boggles the mind. You, as a human being, were created to glorify God. You were created for God’s glory. (Isaiah 43:7 ESV) We were created to make God look great with our lives, and oftentimes we do just that.
In one way, you glorify God by being alive. You are a marvel. Our biology is spectacular and calls us to look at God and say, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made”. (Psalm 139:14 ESV)
We also glorify God with our actions. It is easy to get caught up in all the horrible things humans do to each other, but if you look around you will witness amazing things people do for one another. Parents make incredible sacrifices for their children every day. Husbands and wives love and serve one another every day. People volunteer to help at organizations set up just to help other people who are in need. People get into professions just to help other people. This list could go on and on and on. Christians glorify God in doing all these and sharing the good news of what Christ has done to a lost and dying world.
This is our purpose, God’s glory. We exist to make much of God.
God’s Creation of You was an act of Grace
Think back to the beginning of this post, for we have come full circle. God did not need to create you. There was nothing in Him that was lacking anything. Yet, He chose to create you anyway. Grace is unearned favor.
What did you do to earn your existence?
What accomplishments did you have that made God want to create you?
The whole line of questioning is silly because, well, you can’t do anything before you exist. And I know that I just said that you were created for a purpose, and you were. You were created for the greatest purpose anyone or anything could ever be created for, to glorify God. So, not only did He create you but He created you and gave your life incredible meaning and purpose.
Response of Thanksgiving
The whole matter of existing is a blessing. Even before I begin counting the many blessings that God has given me I sit back and say, “God thank you for creating me.” Or, as the Psalmist put it,
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. (Psalm 139:14 ESV)
R. Dwain Minor
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