All for The Glory of God

Scriptures: “by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.” (Colossian 1:16)

Someone planted a lot of camellias in his backyard. Whenever the season came, these camellias would blossom. There were so many of them that the branches were hanging low because of their weight. But, once the season was over, they would fell to the ground and be out of sight in no time.

A lot of these camellias were hiding beneath leaves and branches. For fear that they would ever go un-noticed, this man would cut them off and placed them in vases so they could be seen and appreciated. He considered it a pity that flowers should blossom without being appreciated. If these flowers were ever appreciated, he thought, they did fulfill their purposes.

One day, it dawned on him that, for these flowers in his backyard, he could at least do something about them to make their lives meaningful. But, what about those blossoming in the fields or on the hillsides where few people ever visited? There was nothing he could do to help them achieve the purpose of their existence, at least that’s what he believed.

One day, this man read today’s passage from the scriptures. He suddenly realized that, if the meaning of the existence of flowers in the backyard lies in the appreciation of their owner, wouldn’t the meaning of all creatures’ existence also lies in the appreciation of their Creator? Those flowers in the fields or on the hillsides were not wasted because of their location. They were not wasted because they had their rightful Owner. Their beauty was silent praises to their Creator. All beautiful things, material or spiritual, will never be wasted for they fill this universe with praises to their Creator.

Sometimes we tend to think that only those highly visible ministries are the ones God remembers. We forgot that, even for those un-noticeable ones, they exist for the glory of God and they receive the appreciation of God. We unknowingly and unconsciously created classes of ministries and worse yet, label them with varying degrees of significance. This unconscious set of ministry hierarchy often determines what ministry we choose to serve and how we regard ourselves as well as others.

But Jesus told us that, “And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciples, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.” (Matthew 10:42) It may be a simple act of kindness like giving a cup of water. But, when it’s done for the Lord’s sake, it’s recorded in heaven and remembered by our Lord.

A brother in Christ told me that, after he came to the United States, he met a sister in the church who called him Teacher Shen. He was surprised to hear that and inquired why she called him as such. She replied, “Don’t you remember that naughty girl who always make troubles in your Physics class? That’s me.” Then she went on to tell him how much she appreciated his teaching. He said, “I was only a teacher.” Little did he know that his teaching touched and changed many lives in the process.

Bible says, “all things were created by him and for him.” (Colossian 1:6) All things! That definitely includes things we consider little or insignificant. I pray that our hearts and deeds are like those flowers in the fields and those on the hillsides, willing to blossom, even if only for the eyes of our Lord to appreciate.

Prayer Requests:
For all those feeling insignificant

Prayer:
Father God, sometimes we are blinded by our own twisted sight and fail to see the beauty and praises to and for You through Your creation. Please help us to see all things through Your eyes so we may truly humble ourselves for Your purposes because we pray in the glorious name of our Lord Jesus, Amen!