Doing Hard Things for the Glory of God

Today I spent my lunch at Starbucks reading a book that a publisher sent me to review. The main point the authors make is that Christian teenagers do not need to fit into the society norm that says they aren’t worth much, nor is much expected of them until they are adults. This book wants the next generation to know that their life matters and that they can already do, and should already be doing, hard things for the Glory of God.

Sitting next to me were a couple of young men who are the target audience of this book. They each had a thick book titled Intro to Biblical Greek along with an accompanying “See Dick Run” workbook that had pages of blank lines for practicing writing their Greek letters. I couldn’t help but overhear their discussion as they compared their scrawls.

“The NIV is a bad translation. It grieves me that people use this translation when the study the words of God.”

“Why?”

“Well, I’ve heard our leaders say it is misleading. People need to know the original language.”

“Ya, the word translated for flesh is supposed to be all wrong.”

“Where did you hear that?”

“Bible College, right before I graduated.”

“Cool. “

“Ya, Glory to God.”

“Yep. Glory to God.”

They make a notation on their papers that look like the symbol for Pie.

“Hey Look! Isn’t that Jared?”

“Yep. He survives on coffee with all he does at the church. I’m not surprised to see him here.”

They wave him over.

“Hey guys how are you doing?"

“Great!” they echo each other.

“How are you doing?”

“Well the wife’s sick so I’m bringing her some juice from the Jungle place next door. Thought I better get charged up too.”

“So how’s the website coming, Jared?”

Awkward pause.

“Well, it’s okay… Glory to God, but we’ve got a lot of work to do on it. You know that Pastor wants us to totally redo the site every year so that it remains relevant in our culture and draws people into the Kingdom.”

“Of course!” they echo. “Glory to God!”

Jared leaves and they go back to their Greek. I try to focus on the book in front of me. I read the following.

The best question to ask right at the beginning is “why are we doing hard things?” When we remember that we’re doing hard things to glorify God and become more of who he created us to be, it puts the “How do I start?” question into a different light.

Though I understand what the authors were trying to say, the thought of “becoming more of who he created us to be” sounds a bit strange- like striving to be something I’m really not.

Their conversation has continued. Now they are talking about revival.

“You know that a revival never lasts more than a generation?”

“Why is that?”

“God always wants to show up in a fresh way to each generation – as long as it fits in with scripture, Glory to God.”

“That makes sense. That is why our church is struggling.”

“Yep. They keep trying to pass down what God told them in their day to us in ours. It doesn’t fit and it isn’t their job to do that.”

“No wonder there is tension.”

This is getting interesting and I about fall over as I lean their way.

“That is why we have got to get our act together and prove ourselves so we can have fresh revelation for today and start a new revival!”

I sigh despairingly, loud enough for them both to look over. I’m too old to be relevant so they turn back to their coloring books.

“Well, I probably should get going. I have small group tonight.”

“Again?”

“Ya, I’m in four different groups, Monday through Thursday. Its hard sometimes, but I just really need Bible study and fellowship, you know what I mean?”

“Yep, Glory to God.”

“Glory to God.”

I look down at the book in my hands. I know there is value in these pages, words that could motivate the complacent into action. But as I consider the frenzied nature at the table next to me I’m doubting that God is really getting very much glory from all their hard things. I think what he really wants to communicate to this generation is that he loves them.

There is one last pause as they finish up their homework.

"You are quiet."

"I'm just thinking."

"About what?"

"Just thoughts. Random."

"Ya?"

"More than anything, I think I'm really tired."

"Ya..."

What do you think? Do we miss what God really wants to have with us by trying to do too much for him?